


The Chronicles Of Sienna and the Doctor

by Thunderbird83



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Cybermen - Freeform, Daleks - Freeform, Disease, Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Ghosts, Guns, Gunshot Wounds, Hurt/Comfort, K9 - Freeform, London, Lusitania - Freeform, New Gallifrey, Seduction, Sex, Surgery, Vaginal Sex, casanova - Freeform, implanted device, ood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:28:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 236,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29113791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thunderbird83/pseuds/Thunderbird83
Summary: My old Doctor Who stories! SIenna is a complex character who meets up with the 8th Doctor and has a series of adventures..
Relationships: Eighth Doctor/Original Female Character(s), Fourth Doctor/Original Female Character(s), Fourth Doctor/Sarah Jane Smith, Tenth Doctor/Original Female Character(s)





	1. Chapter 1

The Doctor meets Sienna

8th Doctor/Original Character  
Hurt/Comfort/Introspection/Character Study

A/N: Some my Doctor stories are of the 8th doctor, others are the tenth.

Sienna watched as the Doctor settled himself down in his reading chair, put his legs up on the ottoman, then cracked open a leather bound book. The book had evidently seen many battles; the spine was beginning to separate at the bottom. She grinned, hearing the TARDIS's noisy wheezing as it churned on through space vortexes at light speed. 

"Oh, Doctor," she grinned. "You're an oddball, but then, so am I." she turned back into her room, looking around for her iPod and snugged it on; putting on the earphones. Sienna did not like the earphones that did not fit over her ears so she put on the version where they were all one piece with the black rubber band around the back of her neck. She'd tried the newer version once but the earphones kept falling out. In frustration, she want back to her old headphones; happy with them. 

Sienna was 23, turning 24 in a few weeks. She was 5'6'' tall, naturally thin. Her hair color were as her name suggested-sienna with deep hazel eyes. Before she'd joined the Doctor in his escapades she'd had her hair dyed a rich auburn red color. 

The companion was of average build but athletic; she was wearing her black track pants with three white stripes up the sides, her Champion sneakers, and a blue cami top. The camisole top was actually loose fitting, she'd hated things that were snug on her. 

Clicking through her iPod tunes, she selected Say It Right by Nelly Furtado. Not caring what the Doctor would think, she began to sing as she cranked up the volume a bit. 

"In the day  
In the night  
Say it all  
Say it right  
You either got it  
Or you don't,"

The Doctor half registered a singing voice in his mind. It was louder than the TARDIS's continual wheezing and grinding noise, so he noted that Sienna was singing again. She had a pleasing note to her voice that he didn’t mind hearing at all. 

"You either stand or you fall  
When your will is broken  
When it slips from your hand  
When there's no time for joking  
There's a hole in the plan,"

Sienna watched his reaction as she sang another verse of the song. The Doctor put his book down, bookmarking it, then stood up. Sienna quickly turned tail and went into a dark and vacant room. She turned the light on, then remembered that it was the TARDIS's clothing cave, as she'd called it. Clothes from every era piled up in about six armoires, numerous bureaus and hopechests. 

"Oh you don't mean nothing at all to me  
No you don't mean nothing at all to me  
Do you got what it takes to set me free  
Oh you could mean everything to me."

The Doctor looked around for Sienna, but did not find her. He followed her voice as she turned the light off, scampering down the hall like a fast squirrel. She grinned, knowing that amusing the Doctor usually took a lot of nerve. One would never know what kind of mood he might be in at any given point. 

"Sienna!" he saw her silhouette duck into the library. The Doctor shut the door, knowing it was a vast place and there were many places to hide. 

"I can't say that I'm not lost and at fault  
I can't say that I don't love the light and the dark  
I can't say that I don't know that I am alive  
And all of what I feel I could show  
You tonight, you tonight,"

Looking around, Sienna plucked a few books off the shelves and put them on a table. She wandered over to the shut door and began to open it, but a pair of arms latched around her front and turned her around.

"Gotcha!" the Doctor laughed as Sienna pretended to pout. She took his hands in hers and began to sing the last verse of the song.

"From my hands I could give you  
Something that I made  
From my mouth I could sing you another brick that I laid  
From my body I could show you a place God knows  
You should know the space is holy  
Do you really want to go?"

The Doctor's blue eyes widened. "Are you really asking that? You've only known me for a month."

Turning off her iPod, she replied, "No. It's just a song, Doctor."

"Outlandish," he scoffed. "But it pleases you to sing and play hide and seek with me, so be it."

"Tell me, Doctor. Do I have a good voice to listen to?" Sienna's hazel eyes sparkled with amusement, prepared to play fight at whatever his answer may be. 

"I'm not saying anything." he wisely opted.

"You put me to shame, Doctor!" Sienna walked out with him into the main hall and back to the console room. The Doctor put up his book on a shelf and eyed Sienna's books she had pulled off the library shelves.

"What have you got there?" he nodded towards them.

"The Count of Monte Cristo, my favorite book, Poe's The Pit And The Pendulum, and my own hardcover book simply called Ghosts. I love ghost stories."

"Really," he wrinkled his nose. "I don't believe in ghosts."

He had been ready for a debate then. Sienna's brow would furrow and she would challenge him on anything about ghosts. To his surprise, she merely grinned and flopped onto the sofa, picking up her book.

"What? No battle?"

"No, Doctor. I won't force my beliefs on you in any way. I'm an open minded woman."

"You're only 23. I expected a big battle of the wills here."

"Perhaps I'm the exception to the rule,"she shot back. "May I read now?"her tone was very polite. The Doctor resumed his position on his wingback chair and glanced at his pocketwatch.

"It's after midnight. Why aren't you in bed?" the thought had just occurred to him.

"Can't sleep." her nose was already buried in the book. 

Not taking the hint, the Doctor pressed on. "What do you mean? We had a hell of a time yesterday, trying to get out of that storm. I thought that you'd be exhausted."

"Are you going to badger me until you get the truth, Doctor? Or do I get to read in peace?" she asked, hazel eyes keen on his blue ones. 

"I think A will do quite nicely," he raised an eyebrow. "Did you sleep at all when we came back here?"

She put down the book with a sigh. "No," she admitted. "I did not want to."

"Why?" he moved over to her side. "Something I can help you with?" he could see clearly now that her eyes were starting to turn red at the corners. 

"I honestly don't think that you can. Sorry." she looked woeful as she put her iPod on the end table, putting it on top of her book pile. The Doctor was confused, but he was not hurt that she wouldn't tell him.

"You need your privacy, I know." he let her rest her head against him, putting his arm around her shoulders. A few moments later, he was going to regale her with one of his tales, when he realized her eyes were closed. 

"Not sleepy my ass." he smiled, draping the afghan that lay on the back of the sofa over her. The Doctor maneuvered her so she was lying down. He slipped back to his chair, took up his book again, then lost himself in the story. 

Two hours later, the Doctor had dozed off from his own book. It rested beside him on the floor, forgotten. The TARDIS chugged along, making the usual wheezing and grinding sounds the occupants were so used to. 

****

Something was poking at his mind, a peculiar sound. Not opening his eyes, he sat back and waited while his brain registered what the sound was. He then realized that Sienna was asleep on the couch.

Making that noise.

She was making some noise that sounded to him like she was having nightmares, the frightened moans and occasional cries. 

Opening up his eyes finally, he saw that she was indeed having nightmares and went over to her side. Both of his hearts ached when he saw how pale and terrified she looked, even in sleep. He had seen her being playful, and when they first met, he knew that she could be quick to anger. 

But he had yet to see her like she was now.

"Sienna, it's all right, really." he tried to soothe her back into a restful sleep. He took her hands in his, but that caused her to recoil away from him. 

"NO! God, don't!" she cried out. The Doctor gripped her shoulders and pinned her down, forcing her to stay still. 

"Wake up!" he barked with such authority in his voice that she instantly did. Sienna's eyes looked at him, confused, then they began to clear up. She recognized him, he could see it clearly now. He let up off of her, then sat with her, stuffing a few pillows behind her back so she could see him better.

"Doctor.…" she seemed to be at a loss for words. "Now I'm embarrassed....nightmares like a little kid."

The light appeared to be gone out of her eyes, all he could see was hazel, not the spark of animation and vivacity that was her personality. He brushed back a strand of her short wavy auburn hair, looking at her, very concerned. 

"What is it? I think now is a good time to tell me."

"I can't," her eyes teared up, but she held them back. "Doctor, they'll kill me if I tell on them."

"Who?"

"Those people we just left. I know it sounds strange, but I know they will kill me if I do squeal."

"I must know."

"Doctor, look at this." she pulled down her top a little bit so he could see a half an inch incision line near her heart. 

"What is it?"

"It's the consequence if I do tell. Some sort of triggered poison release system. It's like a bomb that's triggered if one squeals on someone."

"I don't care for that word in that particular useage," the Doctor spoke. "There must be some way of getting it out."

"You're not a licensed surgeon, I know. The truth of the matter is....."

"Well?"

"Each day this is in me, each hour....I'm drawing closer to death. This will slowly inhibit my heart's function, then the poison will be triggered; I will die."

The Doctor's color drained. "There must be something we can do to save you!"

"I don't know." she put her head mournfully on her hands. 

"Sienna, you will not die. In the name of Rassilon, I will not let you die. The TARDIS and I will keep you alive. First objective is to figure out what type of device is in you, how much time you-," he gulped-"have left. I will put you on life support."

"Oh, Doctor. It's pointless now." a dark depression was stealing over her. He looked at her, wild eyed for a moment, then grasped her by her shoulders again. 

"It's NOT pointless! Do you understand me?" he wanted to shake some sense into her. "I will not give up on you! You will live through this!"

Sienna looked up. "Thank you, Doctor. I went through much of my life with the notion that nobody cared about me. I have suffered much already. When you came, I was happy to go with you and be done with my earthly life. To this day, I do not regret it." she pecked him on the cheek. 

The Doctor looked confused for a moment. 

"I want you to sleep while I research this, all right?" he brandished an object in front of her. 

"This is a scanner. It will pick up any foreign substance in your body."

"All right."she was out cold before he began. 

****

She had little more than two days left. The Doctor figured that right away. High stress of any sort would activate the device and make her end come even more swiftly. The little implant was in her aorta, just inches away from the heart itself. He could not afford to be the one to take it out, any slip, she would be a goner. 

"So then what do I do?" he mused, steepling his hands together. 

Go and find a heart surgeon the TARDIS told him. 

"Under these circumstances?"

Drug one, haul them back here, then persuade them to operate. 

"And in the meantime, what about her? Stress will quicken her end."

Don't take any chances, put her on life support. She could work herself up into an emotional state and die then. 

"You're right, old girl. You certainly are." he set coordinates for earth, then thought out where he'd park. He'd already been on the west coast, perhaps it was time to try the east coast and see what was available. 

Unwittingly, he thought of Grace. It was up her alley, but he did not think that another visit would be welcomed by him. He wanted her to get on with her life, not keep thinking about the past and him. 

Taking Sienna to her bed, he kept a vigil beside her. He was determined that if she should have another nightmare, she would not suffer it alone. 

****

The next day, the TARDIS landed in the back alley of a hospital in Connecticut, on the eastern seaboard. The Doctor had made the necessary preparations, all he had to do now was to tell Sienna that he was getting help for her. 

"Sienna?" he lifted her up. Her face was deathly pale and there was a suggestion of blue around her lips. She was not cold, but the Doctor quickly surmised that her body was failing rapidly, even more so than he'd expected. He put his hand over her heart, it was skipping fast, trying to keep her alive. 

"I'll not have you leave me!" he declared, rushing her to the medbay. The TARDIS directed him on how to intubate her properly, then wire her to the heart monitor and respirator. Her heart rate was indeed going thickly, her pulse was down, so was her body temperature. The Doctor watched her for a moment, feeling helpless. 

"There. She should be stable."

She will be. I will watch over her until you get back. The TARDIS reassured him. The Doctor leaned over her prone form and kissed her on the cheek. 

"You're going to be all right." he told her, gathering up his coat and leaving, locking the door behind him. 

After locking the TARDIS up tight, the Doctor put his key in his pocket. He closed his eyes shut for a moment, mentally giving himself a pep talk. He'd grown fond of Sienna during their past month of adventures, and hated to see her harmed. She was in peril of her life now, all thanks to him, he thought. 

"She will make it." he pumped himself up, trying to stay positive. He threw on a black overcoat, then started on towards the nearby town. 

Trudging through the last snowfall, the Doctor smiled for a moment, remembering how Sienna despised snow. 

*"You try driving in it!" she'd shot at him after he hit her with a snowball. 

"Come on, it's fun!" he lobbed another ball at her which hit, stinging her back. 

"Augh!" she fell into the snow facefirst. "Look what you did!"

"What?"he fell to his knees beside her. 

"This!" she looked up, grabbed his face, then dunked it into the snow. Sienna rolled away laughing as he pretended anger, trying to tackle her. 

"You're awfully quick, for a girl!"

"Why thank you!" she leaped away, but he caught her ankle and jerked her down again. Sienna was pinned down now, the Doctor held her wrists down, then used his knees to hold her legs down. 

"Looks like the tables have turned, eh?" he asked her with a coy grin. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she gave a sudden buck. Before he knew it, the Doctor was on his back in the snow and she was on top of him. 

"And yet they have again. Funny how it works out in the end, eh?"both of them, still shedding snow from their collars, panting from the little chase that had ensued, stared at each other for a moment. The Doctor didn't know exactly what to do, but Sienna did. She managed to brush a bit of hair away from his eyes, then lowered her face down on top of his, giving him a kiss. *

Their first kiss. The Doctor had to let a momentary smile perk up his lips as he brushed past pine trees, following a well worn trail. Before long, he came to a stop sign with an arrow pointing to the west. The snow covered the name of what it was pointing to, so he gave it a quick brush off with his greatcoat. 

"Thank Rassilon." he breathed, taking off into a run. 

The sign had indicated a cardiology surgery clinic. Just across the street, a light green building with white shutters had the sign CARDIOLOGY on the front lawn. The Doctor darted over the hedges, raced across the lawn, then barged into the building. 

He caused quite a sight, hair askew and his greatcoat still flapping behind him. The patients looked up, so did the receptionist. A young fella with dark blonde hair and blue eyes politely asked him if he had an appointment. 

"No, but I have a cardiac emergency. A young lady is hanging between life and death, I need a surgeon immediately."

"Is she at the hospital?"

Short of answering the question, the Doctor wheeled around and dashed down the hall. He grabbed the first person in scrubs that he could find.

"Are you a heart surgeon?"

"Sorry, I'm an RN."

"I need a heart surgeon!" he demanded. Finally, a man in his late forties with graying hair brought the Doctor's attention to him.

"I'm Anthony Halyard. What is going on?"

"Are you-"

"Yes. Now what's going on?"

"A young lady is dying, I need you to help her immediately."

"All right. Where is she?"

"She's at home. She needs immediate attention, please." his blue eyes were desperate. The cardiologist took pity on the distraught man and put his coat on.

"I shall return within two hours, Daniel." he told the receptionist. The young man nodded, making a note of it. His eyes looked upon the Doctor, giving him a sympathetic glance.

"Good luck, sir."

"Thank you."the Doctor was surprised at the bit of sympathy. Dr. Halyard exited the facility, looking to the Doctor for directions.

****

"Just down here. Where you will enter is a bit...elaborate. For that reason, I have to blindfold you." they stood on the pathway the Doctor had followed earlier. Dr. Halyard looked quizzical, but he went along with it. A heavy black strip was put on his eyes, the Doctor led him by his hands and voice. 

"This is my own home. The girl's name is Sienna, she has a life threatening...substance in her aorta which is slowly taking her life even at this minute." 

"She needs an extraction, then."

"Yes. Here we are."he unlocked the TARDIS, then led the cardiologist to the medbay, where Sienna was almost translucent in color. 

"Well well. Where are her X-rays?"

"Here. You can see that.."

"Yes, yes. Well, I believe I can extract that, simply and safely. First thing is to make sure she's sedated enough."

"I gave her a dose of valium only an hour ago. She should be unconscious for at least two hours more."the Doctor checked his watch.

"Good enough, sir. I'll need a yellow gown that ties at the back, scalpel, tweezers.…" the list went on as he quickly got ready. Dr. Halyard looked at her heartbeat on the monitor. While stable, it was weak. He quickly debated whether or not to operate, he had to give the Doctor the benefit of a doubt. 

"Sir?" the Doctor made him jump.

"Sorry. I was thinking about what that thing is exactly. I must do this before her heart becomes even weaker and can no longer hold her this side of heaven." he put on his mask, not before noticing the Doctor blanch. 

Just as he was ready to begin, the Doctor whispered to him, "Pray."

"Fear not, Doctor, we are not too late. Have faith."

Dr. Halyard opened up the incision, then began his procedure. The Doctor could not watch, so he sat by and held Sienna's limp cold hand. 

After a long time, Dr. Halyard closed up the incision, having successfully extricated the object. The reassuring pinging of the heart monitor was the only noise in the room then, as the Doctor found the nerve to look up and see stitches completed. 

"Is it over?" he asked quietly. 

"Yes, thank goodness. I did not harm her one bit, and got it out. She'll recover, she's young looking and strong."

"She's 23." just then, the doctors noticed that Sienna's heart rate began to decrease a little bit. Dr. Halyard smiled at the Doctor's questioning look. 

"That's more like it. The young heal more quickly. By sometime tonight, her heart should sound completely normal, sir. Tomorrow, she'll be able to take it easily. Make sure she rests for tonight and most of tomorrow. I don't know her past history, but it is likely a fever could develop and disappear within about 8 hours. She looks good, her heart is sounding stronger already. Do you have a stethoscope?"

"I do, somewhere. I am to keep listening to her heart?"

"Yes, off and on. By tomorrow, you can stop. Evening tomorrow, she can do anything she wants."

"Thank you, sir. You have saved her life."

The cardiologist got rather pink. "All in the line of duty, sir. I bid you good day." the Doctor helped him discover the exit of the TARDIS. After that, he programmed the TARDIS to take off and leave the earth behind. 

Returning to the medbay, the Doctor extubated Sienna, then disconnected her from all the monitors. He transferred her to a gurney, in which he took her back to her own room. Taking off her shoes, he put her on top of the bed, gathered up the woolen blanket lying folded at the foor of the bed, he spread it out over her. Her color was already improving, he noted with a smile.

The entire operation had lasted about six hours. A square of white gauze was taped over her incision, stuck down with surgical tape. The Doctor rested his hand over her heart gently, grinning when it felt normal to him. 

Tired, the Doctor decided to camp out in her room. He kicked off his shoes, his waistcoat, then changed into his pajamas. Normally, he wouldn't change in front of her, but she was under the influence of drugs. He lay down beside her, quite comfortable and warm without the cover of the itchy woolen blanket. 

****

Before he fell asleep, the Doctor lay there and remembered how he had first met Sienna. 

*He was by himself, the Doctor being a solitary figure. After departing the earth to attend an HG Wells fan club convention, he had been sitting in his wingback chair, reading another chapter. 

A loud clang startled him. Jumping up, he went to the console, mentally tuning out the time rotor's wheezing sound. 

"Who are you?" he demanded. An auburn haired young lady looked at him, her brown eyes cold and hard. 

"Who the hell are you?" she snapped back. The Doctor noticed she had a gunbelt with twin holsters at either side of her hips. To his horror, he watched as she snatched up one of the guns, holding it sideways, pointing it at him.

"I've already been in one shootout, I don't wish to become involved in another one." his seventh incarnation had landed unwittingly in a gang shootout. 

"Who are you? What the hell is this?" she looked as deadly as the weapon she held out, finger on the trigger. 

"I'm called the Doctor. This is a time machine called a TARDIS, it's my home." 

"The bleeding hell?" she spat out. 

"Language, if you please," he said gently. "Put down your weapon, I've no intention of hurting you."

She actually smiled. "First time anyone's not wanted to hurt me." she admitted, holstering her gun. The Doctor showed her to a seat, she took it, telling her the story. He didn't know why, but he felt in the young lady a kindred spirit that he could lean on. She was not a gentle lady by first impression, but she did listen to him.

"No way!" she exclaimed. "A time machine? You're so kidding me!"

"It's true."

"You've probably been to so many places. I've never traveled before. Can I stay with you?" she asked so suddenly, he was caught off guard.

"Are you sure? What about your family?"

"I have none," she informed him. "At least none that I would care to mention, Doctor. All I have is a drug addled little brother."

"I see." in time, perhaps he could regard her as family. Undoubtedly she felt the same way about him. 

"I'm Sienna, by the way."

"Charmed. They name you that because of your eyes?"

"Yes, they did." he gazed into them, then found the same thing that he had seen in his own eyes. Curiosity, intrigue, brave when she had to be... 

"I can see you have it in your heart to be an explorer with me. Before we go anywhere in any time, I have to get to know you more. Deal?"

She smiled, shaking his hand. "Deal, Doctor."*

The Doctor woke up, then remembered in an instant that he was in Sienna's room. They'd had a few adventures together, when she came on board as his new companion. He'd come to admire her courage under fire, always wearing the gunbelts that she brought with her. The Doctor once asked her about them, she'd given him a coy smile and replied that it made her feel like a video game character she liked a lot. The character was dangerous to the enemies, but loved her friends very much. 

"Do you love me like the rest of your friends?" he'd jested. Sienna kissed him on the lips, then withdrew slowly away. He looked at her with eyes of pure longing-of what she wasn't certain. 

"Very much, Doctor." she kissed him again. 

Looking over at her, the Doctor noticed that she was waking up slowly. He grasped her hand, letting her know that he was there for her. She turned her head, then looked at him, a faint smile growing on her face. 

"Oh, Doctor!" she exclaimed, hugging him. "I don't remember much, my throat is a little sore, and what I do know is that you were with me every step of the way."

"Everything is more than repaid, seeing you like this. Happy and healthy."

"It's all thanks to you, Doctor!" she sealed his lips with hers, muffling his response. 

"Sienna, I have a question." he said when his lips were free.

"Shoot."

"What was it that you couldn't tell me?"

"Ugh. The valium must have hit me really hard. I don't remember now, I'm sorry."

"You don't remember a thing?"

"It'll take me time, Doctor. I'll remember it sooner or later."

****

"I trust you, of course."

"Oh my God, I don't believe this." she turned to the Doctor with an embarrassed smile. 

"What is it?"

"The valium is playing with my mind, Doctor. Right now I have the urge to.....break my virginity with you."

His blue eyes widened. The Doctor had a dream or two where he took her virginity, but he'd never done anything about it. 

"I think you should hold off. You've just had an operation on your heart, Sienna. I don't want you overdoing it, all right?" he took her hands in his, looking deeply into her eyes. Her spark of vivacity and animation had been restored; it heartened him to see it again. Sienna gave him a smile, cozying up to him. 

"I am so grateful, Doctor," she whispered into his ear. "I owe you my life."

"It was nothing that nobody else would not have done for you, my Sienna." he felt her relax under his hands and drift back to sleep. The Doctor made sure that she was sleeping comfortably, then closed his eyes and let himself sleep. 

The next morning, the TARDIS turned on the lights in the garden and cloister room. The ship had been programmed to turn off the lights at 10 PM every night, and turn them on at five AM every day. 

The Doctor got up, looking at Sienna, making sure not to disturb her. He went into the shower, dressed for the day, then resumed his position on Sienna's bed. He picked up his book and his mind left the TARDIS, deep in the depths of the book. 

When Sienna woke up, she found that the Doctor had nodded off over his book again. She smiled with affection, looking at him. The 23 year old pulled the blanket up over his shoulders, then stretched out, watching him. She put her hand on one of his hearts, feeling the complex rhythm they thumped to. Getting closer, she put her head where her hand was. The rhythm of his hearts lulled her to sleep, she was comforted by his presence. 

*Sienna, in her dark blue strapless glittery gown, stepped out of her room on board the TARDIS. Her heels matched her outfit, the hair on the left side of her head was pulled back and held back by the sparkly barrette. A bracelet matched her barrette and necklace, glittering so sharply that the Doctor had to look away. 

"Is it too much?" her lips were a medium shade of red, she had on blue eyeshadow, her nails were even blue. The Doctor felt like he didn't even know her for a second, but then that cleared out of his mind. He then realized how beautiful she truly was. 

"Not at all. You have to get to An'oc and find out what the devil is happening to their planet." he brushed off imaginary lint from his sleeve. Sienna noticed that the Doctor was truly handsome in his attire, a black tux with his hair slicked back. 

"Shall we go?" she was about six inches shorter than him, even with half inch heels on. Sienna took his arm, grinning as he did the same. She drew on a light blue colored wrap around her shoulders, both exited the TARDIS. 

At the gala, the Doctor asked Sienna to dance. She smiled, taking his hand, let him lead her onto the dance floor. They did a slow dance, when the leader of the planet's armed forces, An'oc, cut in and took Sienna away.

"I'll have her back in one piece," he promised the Doctor. "She and I have lots to discuss."

"I'll be waiting." he promised them. Sienna gave him a wink as she left with An'oc. 

An'oc was human as far as she could tell. He had blonde hair, purple eyes, and his skin was a shade of pale green. The people of that world all had varying skin shades. From white to the deepest black, green, purple, red, it was a very colorful bunch.

In the corridor, An'oc slammed her against the wall, crushing her face and kissing her deeply. Now, Sienna was in her act, the seductive siren that she had dressed up to be. 

"Is that all you got? Hmm?" she teased. He slammed his lips against hers, kissing her until her legs gave out and she slowed to the floor, nearly lying on her back. 

When An'oc finally let up, she looked at him and drew in a deep breath. He hauled her up, then began to neck her roughly. Sienna drew her head back against the wall, unable to stop her reaction. He was definetly good in necking, she would see what else he was good at. 

The Doctor peered in through the door window, seeing her up against the wall like that, turned so that she was facing An'oc as he was making out with her. He saw Sienna's expression, her eyes closed, she was emitting a moan of pleasure. 

He felt a hot pang of jealousy course through him, An'oc was doing what he would like to be doing to Sienna. He had never instigated the makeout with Sienna, he was afraid that it might ruin the friendship that they had already. She had never given him the least idea that she would like or welcome it if he did start it up. 

He saw Sienna cup An'oc's head in her hands, tell him something, then he picked her up and took her off to a room. The Doctor sighed, feeling depressed. A complete stranger got what the Doctor wanted, but he was too shy to speak up. 

Perhaps I better think this through more, the Doctor thought. He turned from the window and proceeded to integrate himself into the party.

****

"Are you sure you'd want to do this?" An'oc asked, pausing between kissing her. 

"Only if we role play," she giggled, biting his lip playfully. "I think it's hot."

"All right. Who would you like to be?" he began to unbutton her clothes. 

"Pretend that I'm this entire planet and you're the armed forces leader. What would you do to me?"

"Perhaps I would tell the world to obey your every command," he put her on the bed, sliding her blue dress off. "But I would spread my men out over the course of the next four days and have them make people obey me."

A dictatorship, she realized. This planet would not have any free will by the end of four days' time. She quickly stowed the thought as he ran his hands down her strapless bra. 

"Okay," she breathed. "Rule me. Do what you want to me."she put her arms around his back and assisted him coming onto her. 

After a few moments of heavy petting and making out, An'oc suddenly got off of her and dug something out of a drawer. She posed playfully, in her underwear and bra only. 

"Okay, this will make you enjoy it twice as more." as he straddled her, hiding one hand behind his back. Midway through his deep kissing, he brought out his hand, which had a syringe in it. He jammed it into her upper left arm, making her yelp in surprise. Then, her eyes closed and she remembered nothing. 

"Doctor!" she called out.* 

"Doctor!" his eyes opened and he looked at her. She was in the grip of a dream. He grabbed her hands, lest she smack him accidentally, then called her name. 

"Sienna, wake up! You're safe now." he hushed her. Her cries eased, then ceased. Her eyes opened and looked at him.

"I remember," she gasped. "An'oc. He said within four days, which means about two days from now, he's going to turn the whole planet into a dictatorship."

The Doctor's eyes grew wide as he contemplated the information she had just given him, then leaped up, dragging Sienna with him.

"Sending a message to the planet?"

"No, to Gallifrey. They'll send out people that can help stop the uprising before it begins. The lady president will help to stop it." he flicked some switches and turned a few knobs, the message was sent. Sienna looked at the time rotor's glowing blue blades as it came together and back, churning away with a wheeze and a grunt. 

"Sounds like the TARDIS has a cold, Doctor." she smiled. 

He laughed. "It does indeed. I'm so used to it, I never notice anymore. You're not supposed to be up and about, sorry. I forgot with all this new information you gave me."

"I'm good. I can even dance again," she did a few steps. "See?"

"I see. How good a dancer are you? I remember the dance we had on that planet."

"I took lessons forever. You have a music room, yes? With a piano?"

"Allow me to show you." he took her by the arm and guided her to the music room. She squealed in delight in seeing an old antique mini grand piano. Sienna went over to it, sat down, then tested the tune.

"The TARDIS tune these? It's excellent." she tested middle C. 

"Yes. Though the violin is more my thing." he picked it up and played for her. It was a wonderful piece, light at first, then the middle got dark and almost haunting like. Then it became light again, and he finished it. Sienna matched his tune on the piano, mocking him playfully. 

He played, slow then fast. Sienna matched him, her fingers gliding over the keys with an effortless stroke. The Doctor knew that Sienna loved music, could dance, then to playfully match him tune for tune, she was unique and very talented. Of course, he still didn't believe in ghosts, but Sienna had the feeling that he'd soon recant those words. 

When they both got exhausted, Sienna closed the key shelf, then took the Doctor's arm. 

"What are we doing?"she put him on his bed. 

"Doctor, I have to tell you something. An'oc, he...sedated and raped me.."

"I had....that ignorant…" he began, but he couldn't finish. 

"It's okay, Doctor. I'm adult enough to handle it. I have had crap happen to me before, but I know who I am and I know the people who do shit to me are idiots and not worth my time of day."

"Sienna," she met his eyes. "Before anything else happens to either one of us, I want you to know this: you are the strongest, self assured girl who really knows who she is, and won't change for anybody that I've ever known. It's been a real pleasure to navigate this universe with you. It's only been a month, but I already feel a strong attachment to you. Maybe it's because we're both wanderers, alone without families?"

"Oh, Doctor," her eyes teared up. "I think it's that and because that we both have a keen sense of adventure. That, and now I finally know what it is like to have someone care about me. I...I don't quite know what to say." she smiled. 

****

"Then don't. You're still recovering. The thing I want most for you is not to be afraid of intimacy, Sienna." that rushed out before he could stop it.

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused. 

"I mean, because you were raped, I don't want you to be afraid of sex. It's a beautiful thing." he knew his face was red, it certainly felt like it was on fire. 

"Why Doctor, are you intending to me to show me how sex is wonderful?" she wasn't teasing, she really wanted an answer to the question. 

"I, uh, um.....if you want to...I…" he stammered, trying to determine her reaction. 

"Oh Doctor, you can be so naive in some ways. Truthfully, it feels like we've been on a whirlwind romance of some sort. Are you sure you wouldn't mind us doing it so early in this..relationship?" she entwined her fingers with his. 

"No, I don't mind. I've had a dream or two about it."

She was unruffled. "I have too. But, I think that this is quite frankly too soon. I mean, we haven't even said that we love each other yet. Maybe we should just let more time go by, a few more adventures before we get into each other's pants, okay?"

He blinked at her words. They were earth's slang, but he understood their meaning well enough. The Doctor agreed wordlessly, looking into her eyes. She smiled. 

"Good enough. Now, let's get back to bed, eh?"

"What time is it? Oh, 2 AM."

"Doctor," she teased. "I thought you knew the time well enough."

"Even Time Lords can forget the time, Sienna. Now, let's go to bed. Perhaps tomorrow, something will happen. The TARDIS can land on a planet and they may need us."

"Sounds good." she smiled, getting back into bed. The Doctor sat down with her, her left hand in his. She drifted off quickly, leaving the Doctor there. 

Before getting up and going to his room, the Doctor kissed her lips, making her smile a little bit in her sleep. He smiled down at her, then folded her hand down at her side, then went to the doorway. 

"Good night, Sienna."was all he said as he turned out the light


	2. Chapter 2

Split Down the Middle

8th Doctor/Original Character

Action/Adventure

"Another day, another galaxy." the Doctor sighed, lying under the TARDIS console, using his sonic screwdriver to fix the wiring again. The machine wheezed and chugged like normal as he worked away underneath it.

It was an uneventful month, save for what had happened to Sienna at the beginning. She was well recovered now, reading a book on the sofa near his wingback chair. They had gotten a bit closer because of the incident, but they remained a little more distant than before, as if they weren't sure of the other's feelings towards them. 

After fixing the wires, he plucked them up and tucked them under the console again. He took his screwdriver as he put the plate back up, putting in the screws. One click of the screwdriver, all four screws put themselves up tight. He rapped on the plate, making sure they were holding good and fast. 

Evening had arrived. The Doctor lit the candles on the bureau, then took a step back to survey the TARDIS. Everything was in place, as far as he could see. There was no piano music coming from the music room, nor any sounds of Sienna's iPod stereo in the gym. Sienna liked to shoot basketballs in her spare time and dance, but the Doctor had never asked her to teach him. 

As for the Doctor himself, he preferred sitting and reading his books. He looked to see Sienna lying asleep on the sofa, then took her book from her. She was lying on her front, her left arm pillowed her head, which was turned to the right, her right arm dangling off the edge of the sofa. The Doctor turned her onto her back, putting her arms at her waist. He smiled at her with affection, then settled down in his chair. 

He remembered that she had come too close to death for his liking, unlike him she couldn't regenerate herself into another body. He'd have to keep that on his mind, as he did have a disregard for his own life. The Doctor had been a bit careless in the past, wasting a few of his lives. 

Sienna did not move as he watched her. Finally, he turned to his book, picked up where he left off, then became deeply engrossed in it. 

An hour later, he looked up to check on Sienna, then realized she was waking up. She opened up her eyes and looked at the Doctor. 

"Good evening." he smiled at her.

"Hi. What time is it?" he dug out his pocketwatch. 

"Six at night." 

"Oh. So it was my gut growling that woke me up," she rose from the couch. " I should make myself some dinner." 

"Like?" 

"Well, are you vegetarian?" 

"Yes." 

"Then you wouldn't like what I'm gonna make." 

"What is it?" 

"First I'm gonna make an entree, then I'm gonna peel the flesh off of a dead bird and eat it." she took delight in grossing the Doctor out. He made a face, plainly wondering if he could convert her to his vegetarian ways.

"Don't even try. I saw that look. I'll always be a meatatarian!" she proclaimed, running down the hall, avoiding the Doctor's playful slap. 

After her dinner, she cleaned up and went back into the console room. The Doctor looked at her, carefully neutral. Sienna grinned and dashed to her room for a moment. When she came back, the Doctor heard a whizzing sound and wondered what it was. 

"Wheeeeeeeee!" Sienna cheered as she shot past him on a skateboard. She hit a button and the doors to the cloister room opened up. The Doctor put his book down and watched her as she skated up the ramp to the Eye of Harmony, then flipped up the board, going up the stairs. She put the board on the edge of the rail, getting one foot on it, then pushing herself down. 

"DON'T YOU DARE!" the Doctor roared, knowing she'd take the board all the way down the banister. He had a sudden vision of her lying dead, her brains scattered out on the cold cement floor. 

It was too late. Sienna was halfway down when he shouted at her, lost her balance, fell, then hit the hard ridge of the stairs in her upper abdomen. 

"Oh, damnit." he swore, dashing to her aid. Sienna lay still for a moment, but she was sitting up and she kneeled down so her head was nearly to the floor, her hands on her abdomen, coughing. 

"Oh, Rassilon. Are you all right? What could have possessed you to do something like that?" he demanded, bending over her. 

She had no answer for that. The skateboard rolled away, forgotten as the Doctor picked Sienna up altogether, taking her to her bed. She curled up, still unable to breathe much. With a quick warning from him not to move, he dashed to the medbay to get the medical scanner, then ran back. 

"Sienna, I need to take a look at you. Calm down." he made her lie flat down on the bed. Sienna was getting her breathing under control as the Doctor undid her shirt then held the scanner, slowly drawing it up to get an accurate picture. He set the setting on the scanner to look for fractures as he waved it over her ribcage. 

It took a moment to process the image, then the readout flashed NO FRACTURES. She had not even cracked a rib. 

"You'll be all right. No cracks or fractures." he told her. 

"I knew that," her voice was flat. She knew he was about to launch a tirade aganist her behavior, but she beat him to it. "Why the devil did you shout then I was already doing it?! You threw me off and I wiped out." 

"You were going to wipe out anyway." he said, neutral.

"I would not have if you hadn't thrown me off, Doctor! Next time, please don't do it." 

"What if it saves your life?" he countered. " I have the ability to know some things about your future. If I had left you be, you would be dead, your brains smashed on the cement floor! I prefer my companions alive, thank you very much!" 

"Can you really do that? I had no idea." her brow furrowed, understanding. 

"So you're an equivalent of a divine intervention?" 

****

The Doctor blushed. "If you want to call it that, then yes." 

"I'm just teasing you. Where are we going now?" 

"Xylor 3. There's a planet in a civil war with each other, we have to help the rightful leaders gain control. Put on your gunbelt, load your guns, it could get nasty." 

"When do we land?" 

"Thirty minutes. Get ready." he told her. Sienna put on her black track pants, hiking boots, and dark blue camisole top. The gunbelt was strapped on, she made sure her magnums had plenty of ammo, then stepped into the console room. 

"You definitely look ready." the Doctor opened up the TARDIS doors. They stepped outside and the Doctor locked it up tight. Both of them walked towards where the city was. Both could see it from a distance, like Dorothy seeing the Emerald City in the poppy field. It was a small city, but as far as Sienna could see, no thick cloud of smog. It looked very clean to her, perhaps the people there had found alternate energy sources as opposed to burning off fossil fuels. 

About a third of the way there, with little talk going on between them, the Doctor took Sienna's arm and led her into the foliage. 

"What is it?" a shot grazed her upper left arm. "Never mind." she whipped out her magnum and shot in the direction the other shot had come from. A cry came from that side as they both heard someone fall. 

"Good shot, though I still disapprove of guns." the Doctor examined the blood sluggishly oozing from her graze. 

"I do too, but I have to use them when necessary." he put a bandage on her wound, then they both were on their way. 

"What went on in this land anyway?" she put on her black shades. 

"Apparently they have a very poor system of order. Half of them want to set up an organized capitalist society, the other half wants free reign." 

"Eek." 

"Exactly. They're all divided up over this. We are to present ourselves to the leader of the capitalist movement and make ourselves useful." 

"All righty." 

Their trek was ended when a car pulled up to meet them. They had parked the TARDIS deep inside the forest that was adjacent to a fenced in kiddie park. The Doctor got in without hesitation, Sienna followed him. 

"Welcome. I am Xerxes and this is Xylor 3," Xerxes had a headful of messy red hair, his skin had little square marks all over him. His eyes were red with greenish tints to them. "We will fill you in at the banquet tonight, just what we need done to restore order among the people and introduce capitalism to the people." 

"Sadly this means people might die." the Doctor sighed.

"No revolution was ever accomplished without bloodshed, unfortunately." Sienna echoed him. 

"Unfortunately, the last blast the rebels threw at us blew off half the house. You two will have to share a room if you don't mind." Xerxes made it clear that they would tell him that they wouldn't mind at all. 

At the house, the Doctor and Sienna had been supplied with pajamas, they looked around in awe. It was a small room, but there was a four poster canopy bed, the lacy white curtains tied back with pale blue ribbons. A throw rug before the bed had a big rose blossom stitched into it, with green sprigging all around the edges. 

"Nice place, though I'm not one for frilly things." the Doctor remarked. 

"Nor I, really." 

"What do you think so far?"

"I think Xerxes is an ass." 

"Shhh. They may have the room bugged." 

"Why?" 

"They live among rebels in disguise. They can't be too careful." 

"I see. Let's get down to dinner then." she took his arm and they descended the stairs together. 

About halfway down, Sienna put a hand up to her head. She swayed a moment as the Doctor grabbed her arm to steady her.

"What is it? Sienna?" she didn't open up her eyes for a moment. 

"Damnit." 

"What is it?" he repeated.

"I feel almost....drained," her eyelids sagged. " What is up with this?" 

"Do you feel sick at all?" 

"No, just really tired." he checked her forehead, grinning when there was no sign of fever at all. Sienna looked up at him, fighting to stay awake.

"This is an easy one. You suffer from time lag." 

"Like jet lag?" he helped her back to the room. 

"Exactly the same. You humans can't recover from it as fast as others do. I'm immune since I've traveled so much." 

"Oh, really. Unlike jet lag, you can develop an immunity to this?" she kicked off her shoes and lay on the bed with his assistance. 

"It'll take time, but the effects of the lag will ease after every landing from now on. You'll get used to it in time." 

"Sorry to bail out on you like this." she mumbled, her eyes closing. The Doctor pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, heartened to see that she had fallen asleep quickly. 

"Think nothing of it, my Sienna." he pecked her on the cheek, turned the lights off, then closed the door.

****

"Where is your companion, Doctor?" asked Xerxes instantly as he came down the stairs. The Doctor took the proffered chair and sat down, looking intently at the unrecognizable foodstuffs. 

"She's got some time lag and needs to sleep it off," he shrugged. "She'll get the immunity like me in time." 

"Oh," Xerxes grinned. “It's a real son of a-" he whistled high then low. 

The Doctor blinked. " Excuse me?" 

"That's our custom here. We whistle the expletives instead of saying them." Xerxes sat opposite the Doctor, rolling up his raggedy sleeves. Three other people sat down near them, waiting for Xerxes to introduce them.

"Ah, this is Skeeion," a male with bright orange hair, light gray skin. "He is in charge of the economy." Skeeion nodded his head towards the Doctor, a polite smile on his face. 

"Suhra," a female with light pink hair and neon red skin. " She manages the general populace. A how do you say? Mayor." 

"Temocra," another male with dark green hair and brown skin. "Is the negotiator. In times like these, he occasionally has to call and negotiate with the free range leader, Glyda." 

"Pardon me, but is that female?" the Doctor had to clear that up. All the native Xylor 3 people had patterns of squares lining their arms, necks, down one side of their faces, and legs. The Doctor watched Suhra in particular, who was eyeing the unfamiliar foodstuffs warily. 

"Yes. She is the ringleader with her associate, Quaree. They both are experts in military warfare and have gotten quite the army waiting to fight us, I'm sure. I can't really see how a free range or lassiez fare government would work. Though I can say I don't entirely understand it. Perhaps you can enlighten us, Doctor?" 

"I think so. Lasseiz fare means the people can do whatever they want, as the capitalist forces would regulate everything and such. Here you have anarchists who don't want any government at all. I would wager that even if they did win that this Glyda and Quaree would turn it into a dictatorship after awhile." 

Temocra filled the Doctor's glass with a wine the Doctor did recognize-Chardonnay. The Doctor took it gratefully, having not tasted anything like it in quite awhile. 

"How do you exactly forsee that, Doctor?" Skeeion asked quietly. 

"I'm not a psychiatrist or psychologist by any means," he began. " But I'm well enough endowed to the human or even alien demeanor. This Glyda might realize after the war is over that she missed being in power, commanding forces. And so since she appears to me that she's the highest ranking person on that side, she might establish herself as the dictator." 

"It is an interesting concept, Doctor," Xerxes looked at his comrades. "If that temptation is great, we would come out the winners. Capitalism offers the people choices." 

"But you're saying if, Xerxes," Suhra protested. "The temptation is too great for lasseiz fare. She would enjoy fame as the person who brought free range to the Xylorian people." 

"True," Xerxes began doling out the food. "Try this, Doctor. It might remind you of one of your Gallifreyan delicacies." 

The Doctor tried it.v"My compliments to the chef." he said with a small grin.

A knock on the window startled Sienna from her recuperating sleep. She got up, half grumbling expletives, then looked out the window. A man was standing there, bright sky blue hair with light yellow skin. His green and gold flecked eyes looked at her. 

Opening the window, Sienna let out a tirade of expletives that made her visitor flinch. She glowered at the man, finally asking him what the hell he thought he was doing there.

"You must leave the planet. Glyda already knows you're here and is plotting your deaths even now." 

"Like I don't know that already. What is your name?" 

"Kigona, a faithful capitalist ally." 

"Okay, Kigona. You're a spy for us?" 

"Shh!" 

"Oh right, the bugged thing. Bugger all. Kigona, come in for a moment." 

"Yes?" 

"You're awfully cute looking. You remind me of a boy I liked back on where I come from." she took his face in her hands. 

"Are you a lustful little girl?" she blushed. 

"Sorry. I've never done it and I feel like I want it done." 

"Understandable. How about if we just go casual dating thing first?" 

"Okay." they latched lips, kissing each other. Kigora's hands folded around her back as she put hers around his neck. He sank his hands down lower, as if he was going to fondle her butt. She put her hands on his, then put them on her shoulders. Kigora tucked his hands under her shirt and rubbed her skin underneath the bra straps. She broke the kiss and moaned once to show her appreciation. 

"I think that's far enough. For tonight." he added. Sienna almost whined, but he shushed her with a grin. 

"I officially meet you tomorrow as we go and start trekking over to the rebel/anarchy side of the planet. Until then." he kissed her again and left.

Sienna didn't care how she just plunged into kissing him. She sat down on the bed, waiting for her eyes to close. He was a man, albeit an alien to her, but he knew how to treat a lady. She had been wanting for a new boyfriend for awhile, and it appeared that she had found one, though temporary. 

"Brush the teeth," she murmured, doing her nightly rituals. The Doctor once complimented her on the oral hygeine habits that she had. Her teeth were always gleaming, he'd once said. 

She sighed as she flung herself out on the bed. Kigora, she knew, she would be seeing a lot of him. She didn't know how much time they had on the planet before they succeeded or didn't, but planned on making it a whirlwind relationship with Kigora.

An hour after Sienna had fallen back asleep, the Doctor came in. He didn't bring her anything from the dinner, figuring she'd not want for anything at all. He paused, looking down at her in the silhouette of moonlight from the window. The planet's four moons were shining brightly, he'd observed. 

"Sienna? Are you awake?" he whispered very quietly, shedding his waistcoat and cravat. 

No response. He chuckled. 

After he got into bed in his pajamas, he looked to see that Sienna had been awake, she was changed into her nightshirt and her clothes were discarded on top of the bureau. 

The Doctor stroked Sienna's hair, enjoying her steady slow breathing. She was facing him, her face was shutterd, eyes closed, but peaceful all the same. He traced the outline of her lips with the back of one index finger, admiring the rosy pink fleshy color. She was a freckled girl, on her face, nowhere else. Sienna had once said that she had hoped to grow out of her freckles, but that had never happened. 

He thought it made her look better. The Doctor had never told her so, because she'd say he was out of his mind. But all in all, she was a good companion for him. He heard her sigh, a small exhalation of breath though her lips, and she sank even further down into her dreams.

The Doctor kissed her on the top of her head. "Sweet dreams, my Sienna." 

****

At dawn the next day, the Doctor rose with the three suns. He looked around, then remembered he had to roust out Sienna. 

After taking care of himself, he knelt at the edge of the bed, put his hands on her shoulders, then gently gave her a shake. Her eyes opened up after the first one. The Doctor could see that she was irked and ready to throttle the person who was waking her up. Seeing the Doctor, her rage disappeared in a flash. 

"Hi." 

"Hi, yourself. How are you feeling?" 

"Like my old self again," she gave him a sleepy smile. " Are we off then?" 

"Yes we are. Bring your things and come downstairs. We're to leave in 20 minutes." he got up and watched her, happy to see that she had a good color and was actively dressing herself. 

"I'm gonna change now. If you want to watch, I don't care." 

"Not very discreet, are you?" 

She snorted. "I'm an American, Doctor." 

That was all he needed to hear. He began to laugh as she changed and strapped on her gunbelt. The Doctor and Sienna disembarked with Xerxes and six troopers walking around them, protecting them. Two sat on a cart being driven by a team of horses at the back. 

"How long do we walk, Xerxes?" Sienna asked. 

"Two miles. At noon, we shall meet up with the horse and carriage convoy to take us to the capitalist border. After that, we shall make camp a safe distance away. Then you two are on your own the next morning." 

"Nice plan." she said in a low voice that the leader missed. The Doctor noticed a young man walking beside Sienna, in uniform. He also noticed the look that the young man gave her, which was of a lovesick puppy. 

"Why do we not use cars?" 

"Although the terrain would permit it, the rebels have an infrared scanner which would tell them that a car is nearby. A horse generates less heat so it is not visible to their radars." Xerxes added. 

"I see." Sienna lapsed into silence, stoically marching alongside her companion.

For some reason, the Doctor felt himself grow hot for a moment, then he stopped. He slipped his hand into Sienna's, giving her a small smile. She smiled back at him, happy that he'd want her hand in his. For safety, she'd supposed. It would do no good for them to get lost and possibly get themselves killed by either their own idiocy or the anarchist rebels. 

Every two hours, they got to sit and rest for 20 minutes. At the second rest point, Sienna sat down with the Doctor, leaning on him for a moment. He looked at her, wondering what she was thinking, if she'd even seen the young man near her giving her lovesick glances every now and then. Sienna was pretending to be oblivious to the fact that Kigora was almost openly fawning over her. She was giving him the impression that she liked to play hard to get. 

She had noticed that the Doctor had noticed Kigora's looks also. Still pretending to be oblivious, she got up.

"Where are you going?" the Doctor inquired. 

"I'm going to the lavy." she disappeared. As soon as the Doctor's head was turned, Kigora vanished as well. 

Behind a nearby tree, Sienna covered Kigora's mouth with one hand. 

"Do you think this is a good idea? I mean, we should wait until we're camped for the night." 

"No, I think I've got to have you!" he gave her a crushing kiss. 

"Try to rein yourself in, Kigora. I'll let you have me-tonight." she devilishly kissed him as he held her hard against the tree. 

"What about your friend, the Doctor?" 

"I'm a girl who wants a libido, palsy. He and I are just friends, nothing more." 

"I'll take that." he emerged from the tree in plain sight, followed five minutes later by Sienna. The Doctor replaced his water bottle, then watched her as she adjusted the gunbelt. She picked up her knapsack and grinned at him. 

"Ready?" she extended her hand to help him up. 

"Always." the Doctor couldn't help but admire her blue camisole top. Her arms were noticeably muscular, she had dark moles running around on both of her lower arms. Sienna kept her nails cut relatively short, but did allow a little nail growth to make her fingers look more ladylike. Her nails were not polished at that time, but she had been known to wear blue, pink, purple, red. Anything to compliment her skin tone.

Finally, they reached the horse and carriage, then started on southwards towards the border. The Doctor let Sienna lean on him a little bit, the jiggling of the carriage and rhythmatic pounding of the horses' hoofs were lulling her to sleep. 

Little conversation followed as the suns began to go down.

****

"Ah, here's camp," Xerxes smiled. "Is she all right, Doctor?" he was carrying Sienna to where the tents were being set up. 

"She's had a tough time recently, but yeah, she'll be all right. She's just really sleepy." 

"Should we wake her up? It's dinnertime." 

"Yes, I should." the banquet last night had been stiff and formal. Apart from the conversation at the beginning, the other capitalist members had done nothing but exchange suspicious glances. The Doctor was an alien and so were they, but they were from different planets, galaxies even. He dismissed last night from his mind as he got Sienna up and to the campfire.

"This reminds me of camping when I was with my adopted family." she accepted the tin plate handed to her by Xerxes. 

"Do tell." he prodded her. 

"My then family would take me, my adopted brothers out into the wilderness. We would fish, boat, swim, and hike. It was truly a golden moment in my history." then she seemed to lose steam and her eyes became dark and shadowed. The Doctor looked at her, then gave her upper arm a supportive squeeze. She looked at him with appreciative eyes, giving him a giant hug. 

"I'm sorry," she said, recovered. " It brings up many painful memories for me." 

"Then we won't pry. Time for bed, so we can get an early start out of here, for us," Xerxes looked at his troop. "And for you. We'll leave you supplies and maps of the place. We will pick you up whenever you trigger this," he held up a rectangular device. " A pager." 

"Thanks." the Doctor took the pagers for him and Sienna. 

"Bedtime!" Xerxes tried to sound perky, looking at Sienna. "I am not such an ass now, am I?" 

Her jaw dropped open. The Doctor had been right. That room really had been bugged. 

Kigora watched the Doctor march towards the tent, turning and looking back at Sienna. 

"You be okay here?" he asked. 

"I'm fine. That nap is enough to keep me awake for at least another hour. Go to bed and good night. I'll be in soon." 

The Doctor gave her his customary kiss on the cheek. "Good night then. Sweet dreams." 

Kigora looked at Sienna as she watched the Doctor's receding figure. Nobody else was up, so she grabbed Kigora's hand and drove herself into him, kissing him hard. He responded, unstrapping her gunbelt and sliding his hands up her shirt to fondle her......

In the tent, the Doctor was reviewing the battle plan for the next day. They were to go in, sabotage the plans and trigger a virus bomb. The virus would weaken them enough so they would be too weak to resist the capitalist movement. The Doctor didn't really like the plan, but sometimes drastic measures were the only ways to go. 

That was the bare essential plan. Any other amendments would be the Doctor's and Sienna's to make. An idea was beginning to take shape in his mind. He wrote it down as soon as he thought of it, grinning at his genius. Sienna would be sure to go along with it, she always enjoyed a good mission. 

Trying to think up further details at that point was futile. The Doctor thought he heard a squeak that sounded like Sienna. Looking out, he saw her and the young man sitting side by side at the fire. 

As soon as the Doctor withdrew his head, Sienna and Kigora began to put their clothes back on, grinning to themselves. 

"You'll be sore for a little while." he told her, helping her up. 

"That was wonderful." she pecked him, saying good night. 

The Doctor was asleep on the sleeping bag when she returned. Sienna smiled fondly at her friend and companion. She picked up a blanket from his pack, then spread it out over him. The Doctor stirred, but didn't wake up. Sienna tucked him in, then got into the bag next to him. She watched him sleep until she fell asleep herself. 

Sienna was dreaming.

*She was in a field of beautiful white and red roses, looking around at the beautiful sunset. Her dress was toga like, gathered over one shoulder. The dress had a slit up the right side that reached three inches off her knee. On her head was a golden colored tiara, three bangle bracelets were on her left wrist, gold colored too. She was barefoot, her dress fluttering in the small breeze. 

"Sienna!" a cry was heard, echoing over the seemingly vast valley. She stood up, startled as she saw the Doctor being pulled away from her. Suddenly, she was in her combat gear, running to aid the Doctor. He was strapped down onto a table, James Bond style, but someone was giving him an injection of something. Sienna pulled out her guns, shot off the straps, then shot the person who was drugging him.

"Oh God, Doctor!" she screamed, watching him fade away before her eyes. Holstering her weapons, she watched as he drew his final breath as his hearts stopped. 

"Doctor!" Sienna's cry seemed to tear from her very soul.* 

"Doctor!" she cried out. 

"Sienna, I'm here! What is it?" her wrists were gripped, a familiar voice prodded her to consciousness. She opened up her eyes and took in the Doctor, looking at her and also appearing to be very concerned. 

"What is it? Nightmare?" 

"Yes. Doctor, I dreamed that you died! You did not regenerate as you said you could! It's just a dream, but still.." 

"It shook you up," he understood, drawing her into an embrace. "It's okay. Try to sleep." 

"All right." she settled herself against the Doctor, poised so she could hear his hearts beating. The Doctor put his hand over her heart, then drew up the blanket.

"Fair is fair." he grinned. Sienna smiled and went back to sleep.

Sienna did not dream anymore that night. When the Doctor woke up, she was just as she had been when he fell asleep. The Time Lord looked at her with affection, only looking up to hear and see someone unzipping the tent flap. 

"Doctor? Sienna?" Xerxes. 

"What is it?" 

"Ten minutes until breakfast. Then we pack up and move on, leaving you two here. All right?" 

"Fine. We'll be out shortly." Xerxes grinned, withdrawing from the tent and leaving the flap unzipped. The Doctor got up, stretched, then put his waistcoat and cravat on, tying it properly. Sienna stirred, stretched, then got up as well. She was fully dressed from last night, even down to the gunbelt. She adjusted the strap at the bottom of the holsters that encircled her thighs, then planted her hiking boot down firmly. 

" I think you look exactly like that video game character you like so much." the Doctor remarked.

"She likes adventure, Doctor, so do I." she checked her backpack with ammunition, then turned to see the Doctor looking at her in wonderment. 

"Let's get breakfast and I'll go over the plan with you. Deal?" he extended his arm.

Sienna watched him for a moment, unsure of his demeanor. Then, after measuring him up with her keen brown eyes, she grinned. "Sure." she linked arms with him and together they went out to the fire pit, where Xerxes and the workers were breaking camp. 

"The anarchists live half a mile in that direction," Xerxes pointed them to the west. "I hope you have a good plan to get into the compound there. They're awfully paranoid about who they let in." 

"We have a plan. Don't we, Sienna?" they sat down. 

"Yes we do." 

****

The Doctor was just getting up from the campfire when they heard a loud whizzing sound. Sienna ducked instinctively, then Xerxes looked to the south. Four men were standing there, firing automatic weapons at them. Kigora hurriedly hid himself in the cart, one of the men was just about to hitch up the horses to it, but they stopped and looked.

"Damnit, they've found us!" Xerxes looked over as well as the Doctor. Sienna took out her magnum and aimed. 

"What are you waiting for?" the Doctor shouted at her. She shook her head and holstered the weapon. 

"They're out of range, Doctor! I couldn't pick off a barn door at that distance!" the Doctor grabbed her at the waist and forced her to lie back on the ground. Xerxes put the horses to the cart, the men piled into it.

"Good luck, Doctor and Sienna!" Xerxes wailed out at them as he struck up the team and dashed away. 

"Damnit," Sienna swore, trying again the range. "Doctor..." she pulled out a tiny pair of binoculars and peered over at the anarchists.

"What is it?" he asked, glancing the other way.

"They're coming!" 

"What will we do? We can't run all the way to the compound and they'd let Glyda know by now!" the Doctor searched the landscape as the anarchists suddenly surrounded them. 

"Back to back, Doctor," Sienna put her back to his. "Stand with me." 

"I've no other choice now." he saw a rocky outcrop not too far away from them, maybe 100 feet. It was high and had plenty of wide flat places for them to climb up to. The multicolored layers showed it was made out of sedimentary strata. It was jagged in some places, reminding the Doctor of a shark's teeth. 

"Put your hand in mine," he directed. "Trust me." Sienna's hand found his, they clung together as she tried to formulate a plan. The four men circled around them like sharks, waiting for either to give them a reason to shoot. 

"We'll need a distraction." Sienna mused. The Doctor caught the glint of the sun reflecting off the shiny aluminum casing of Sienna's binoculars. 

"I need your binoculars, Sienna." 

"Going to check out that dirty guy's clogged pore?" she sarcastically said as she handed him then. 

"On my cue. Get your magnum ready." he exhaled, wondering if it would really work, but he had to try. 

Aiming the cylinder's casing so that it reflected the light, he aimed the light directly into two of the men's eyes. It temporarily flashed and stunned the men, who staggered back, whining that their eyes hurt. Sienna shot one in stomach, then scared the other one off with a crazy shot. He thought it hit him, but he was wrong. 

"Sienna!" the Doctor's voice shocked her back to reality. "This way! Come on!" he tugged her arm, breaking the trancelike state she had been in, watching the clumsy doofus of a guard jump around. 

Locking hands with the Doctor Sienna ran like mad. They were almost at the rocky outcrop when one soldier, recovered from the blindness the Doctor threw at him, threw a body tackle and managed to pin down Sienna. She broke handhold with the Doctor, who, not thinking at the moment, mechanically climbed the outcrop.

"Aughhhh!" she cried out as the soldier hiked her up, throwing her against the giant outcrop. He pushed down on her left arm, pushing it so hard that she screamed. 

Her right hand unnoticed, she pulled out her magnum. The soldier was too focused to trying to strangle her to death to notice her good arm raising up and taking aim.

" Sienna!" the soldier threw her around a bit. Sienna heard her left arm dislocate with a dull popping sound, then she was lying against the sand. In a cynical corner of her mind, she thought that the area reminded her of Area 51 in the Nevada desert. 

Now Sienna and the soldier were in a standoff. She was facing him about ten yards away, she saw him crouched, legs spread, like a football player waiting for the ball. Seeing that the cretin had lost his gun, Sienna grinned, instantly reminded of a move she had once seen in a movie. She ran right towards the soldier, then at the last moment, ducked, sliding between his legs. In an instant, she had shot the man in his back, killing him. 

Now that the final soldier had been dealt with, Sienna accepted the Doctor's hands to assist her on a low, wide, flat outcrop of the big one. She lay down, momentarily exhausted, her breathing raspy. 

"Are you okay? Where are you hurt?" he asked, in a frantic attempt to figure it out. Sienna's face was pinched up in pain, she could barely answer him. She had a shallow cut above her left eyebrow, but it wasn't even bleeding. 

"Shoulder...left.." she managed to say. The Doctor could see that it was dislocated quite easily. 

"Dislocation. I can pop it back into place, but you'll be in a lot of pain. Try not to scream too loudly or they'll know we're here." 

"Those soldiers...they already know..." she gasped. The Doctor jerked up her left arm and popped her shoulder back in. Sienna's scream was so loud, the Doctor had to cover his ears. When the pain had subsided, Sienna propped herself up and looked at her friend.

"Thanks." 

"You're welcome. What should we do now? They do already know that we're here, which throws my original plan." he admitted.

"What was it?" 

"I thought we could go in as faux salespeople or something. Then we could get inside their mainframe, corrupt the data, then detonate the virus bomb." 

"Do they have some sort of nuclear weapon that would vaporize the planet?" 

The Doctor looked intently at her. "Xerxes hinted as much after you dozed off in the carriage yesterday. If there is indeed one all ready, we would need to dismantle it and get it into the hands of the proper authorities. Nobody wants a nuclear war on their hands." 

"Maybe there's something more going on here than meets the eye. I mean, why would anarchists go to such extremes to get their way? Something bigger is happening, Doctor." 

"We'll find out when we gain access." he said confidently. 

"We certainly will. Come on, we've wasted enough daylight as it is, Doctor." 

"Hello, what's that over yonder?" 

"What?" she focused the binoculars. "A car! I'll be damned." 

"Language," he cautioned. "Let's go over to there and steal it." 

"Can you drive a car, Doctor?" 

"Yes." they both slid off the outcrop and hightailed it to the car. Once they got in, Sienna pulled out a half used bottle of suntan lotion while the Doctor looked for the keys. 

"No key? Try the visor." they flipped theirs down. Nothing. Sienna leaned forward, yanking out the bottom panel under the steering wheel.

"What are you doing?" he watched as she selected two wires, ripped them out, then attached them together. The Hummer started, idling.

"Adopted dad, car mechanic." was all she said as the Doctor slammed the brake, shifted the car into drive, and took off across the flats. 

****

When they arrived, the Doctor parked the Hummer a safe distance away from the compound, noting the fences topped with electrical wire. Sienna got out, both walked as far as they could until they were certain they could be spotted. 

"Binoculars." the Doctor ordered. He scanned the outer perimeter, looking around for any abnormalities. To his dismay, there were none. Sienna frowned in disappointment, then she spotted the lookout tower. 

"The lookout, Doctor. He commands by spotting any intruders." she whispered to him

"So?" 

"So we replace the lookout." they began to creep towards the tower carefully, pressing themselves flat against the wooden wall. Sienna, gun withdrawn, nodded to the Doctor as he opened up the door. They clattered up the stairs, finding a lookout idly sitting by and playing a card game. When he looked up, Sienna brought the butt of her magnum on the back of his head, knocking him out. The Doctor locked him in the storage closet as Sienna holstered her weapon. Both spotted the trapdoor, the Doctor opened it. Inside, rungs were welded to the wall. 

"Time to depart," the Doctor found his footholds and began to descend. "Tunnels are marvelous, aren't they." he stated.

Sienna threw him a look as she descended after him. Once on the floor, the Doctor pulled out the map of the compound and began to navigate their way through the maze of tunnels.

At the same time, Glyda, with Quaree were sitting in the master control room. She had one green eye and one brown eye with gold flecks in it. Quaree had brown hair and blue eyes with red in them. Both of them had dark blue skin with tawny gold shimmering through when they moved. 

"Time, Dr. Purfee." she barked with authority as a slender gray haired, white eyed man entered control central. 

"My lady," he bowed. "The chemical weapon will be ready within the hour. My workers are putting the finishing touches on it them. They're beautiful." 

"Dr. Purfee," Glyda stood up. "I did not ask you for your opinion on how beautiful they are. I need you to make sure it is completed!" the Xylorian woman was wearing a black top with metallic silver pants. Quaree simply had on jeans with a gray tank top on. 

"Right, madame. Sorry. Anyway, it will be ready on schedule. You can guarantee that." 

"Very good. If we pull this off without a hitch, we will become the new rulers of the planet." she snapped out a laugh. 

"Whatever happened to those four soldiers who were on their way back? Quaree, what happened to them!" 

The man jumped like she'd hit him. "Everything on track, ma'am. I heard from them 2 hours ago." 

"Activate the car tracking. I don't trust those morons not to be out drinking and carousing with the others." he did so.

"The car is parked about.....100 feet from here. They're here." 

"Good." the lady raked her bright orange nails through her hair. "Then soon I shall become the leader of this pathetic excuse for a planet!" 

At the same time, the Doctor lifted up the cover of a trapdoor. Sienna, holding out a flashlight so he could see, had a gun in the other hand. 

"What do you see?" she whispered. 

"A clear way in." he returned, going up and giving her a hand up. They replaced the grate and looked around. The Doctor navigated the area some more, looking for central command. 

"I would find this place fascinating if I didn't know any better." Sienna whispered. The Doctor was leading, Sienna was behind him, ready to protect him with cover fire if necessary. He peered into one room, then looked around.

"What do you see?" 

"A big wooden box. Could be filled with grenades or canisters of something...." he tried the door, but he needed a retina scan to get in. 

"I don't suppose you could fix this?" he asked. Sienna gave one look, then told the Doctor to step back. She aimed her magnum and shot the lock right off the door. Instantly, an alarm started to blare, the klaxon wailed as flashing red lights began. 

"I'll give chase, you go in there. Here's a two way radio so we can keep in touch." Sienna tucked it into his waistcoast pocket, then shoved him into the room, shutting the door without a word. She jumped up and down, creating a ruckus, then the guards gave chase. Sienna whooped with glee, then darted off. 

The Doctor quickly pried the top off the wooden box, seeing what he had feared-little golden colored canisters of some kind of biological substance in it. He tapped it, which produced a semiresonating sound. It told him the canisters were only half filled with a substance, meaning something had to be released slowly to make people very sick. He pocketed one of the strange orbs, then shut the top securely. 

"Sienna!" he barked into the radio. "Time to withdraw!" 

Sienna heard him, screeching to a stop before the guards managed to. She grabbed the Doctor, shot off a door that was askew on one hinge, then bolted out the door. They both ran to where they had stowed the Hummer, but Sienna insisted on driving this time.

"You make me nervous when you drive." she told him, slamming the door. She reconnected the wires, shifted into drive, then peeled out. 

"Right back to the TARDIS so I can analyze this." he showed her the orb. 

"As you wish, Doctor." she punched it, getting back into the main road and following the directions back to the TARDIS. 

"And you think you're a better driver?" he muttered. 

"I heard that. I have ears like a bat." Sienna told him. 

Back at the compound, Glyda was informed of the intruder and was screaming her head off, ordering everyone around and getting Quaree under her dangerously long nails. He cowered in the corner, ready to speak up when Glyda was calmed down.

"My lady." a soldier stood at central console. Glyda turned to him, eyes filled with obvious rage.

"Who was it! What do they want!" she screamed. The soldier remained unruffled, like he hadn't heard her scream at all.

"We don't know, my lady. They seem to have abated. They took nothing." 

"Well see that if they come back, they don't take anything, Captain!" she screeched. "I can't afford screwups of the plan, not this late in the game!" 

"Will do, my lady." the captain of the guards bowed briefly and left, glaring with disdain at Quaree hunkered down in the corner. 

Glyda went into her room, then reappeared calm, like nothing had happened. She walked on impossibly high heels over to the main computer console, checking the infrared scanners of anything unusual. She then brought up the mainframe security cameras, scanning through them idly, not seeing anything. 

Then the image of Sienna appeared. Glyda watched as the young lady brandished a gun, then shot off the lock on the door. Bringing the image of Sienna up, Glyda uttered a growl in her throat. 

Quaree, just beginning to move, hustled back to the corner. Glyda turned off the monitor, stopping her growling as well.

"I don't know who you are," she began. "But with Quaree as my witness, I will not allow you to leave this compound alive next time!" she shook her fist at the ceiling as if that was Sienna.

****

"Here we are, Doctor." Sienna undid the two wires and the car settled into park. The Doctor, clutching the gold colored orb, disembarked the SUV, unlocked the TARDIS, then went in. Sienna followed, watching the setting suns for a moment.

"Do we attack tomorrow or what?" she asked, undoing her gunbelt.

"Depends on what I turn up. Go and clean up. Get some sleep while you can." he dismissed her. Sienna giggled, draping her gunbelt on the sofa.

"Like you did on the way here, Doctor. You must have napped a whole of two minutes." she teased, earning herself a playful swat on her rear as she passed him by. 

The Doctor wasted no time with his new possession. Sienna took a shower, cleaned up, dressed her minor wounds, then dressed in her purple loungewear. She took an ice pack out of the freezer, then applied it to her shoulder, which ached abominably. When she was done, an hour had elapsed. She settled in on the sofa, watching the Doctor until she fell asleep.

He was absorbed in the mystery orb for about two hours. The Doctor was running all sorts of tests when he finally looked over and saw that Sienna was asleep. He chuckled, it seemed to him that she was always sleeping somewhere. 

Absently, he wandered back in his mind, to what she and that guard were doing when he retired early. Figuring that was her business, he mentally shook his head and continued on with his study. 

Another hour later, Sienna woke up and looked over to see the Doctor still standing over the TARDIS console. He was turning the orb in his hands, looking at his notes that he had scrawled out. Sienna got up and went over, looking at his notes. She sneaked up behind the Doctor, then put her hands on his shoulders, trying to help him relax a bit.

The Doctor tensed up at first, then relaxed as he realized it was Sienna. Giving out a little sigh, he closed his eyes for a brief moment, enjoying the feeling. 

"You could make a fortune in this." he muttered, opening his eyes again.

"You look weary, Doctor. I suggest you sleep for a few hours before we go back to headquarters with this information." she kneaded his shoulders carefully.

"I'm a Time Lord, Sienna. I can go without sleep for days on end. Weeks even. We need to get to Xerxes and his council right away so we can stop this from happening." he indicated the orb. 

"So be it. Let's get down to Xerxes." they linked arms as the Doctor shoved his notes in his pocket. They exited and locked up the TARDIS, then proceeded down the valley, across the gully, then to the high council building. Xerxes flung open the door upon seeing them.

"Doctor, Sienna! I'm glad you both made it out alive!" 

"Ass," Sienna intoned. " Did you think we wouldn't? We are survivors." 

"Ah, yes. Last I heard, Gallifrey was still standing, and Earth is fine as well. You Time Lords are a mysterious bunch," he said to the Doctor. "I wasn't sure which Time Lord would come to help us. Romana is damned elusive." 

"She can be that way. Anyway, I have the results of my tests on Glyda's chemical agent. Call the council together so we can discuss this right away." 

"Right away." Xerxes trilled, dashing off. 

Moments later, the council was assembled. The discussion was carried on by the Doctor and Xerxes, the rest just sat and listened. 

Around the oblong table, they edged forward as the Doctor began.

"What I have here is a literal chemical recipe for disaster. Highly concentrated hydrogen sulfide mixed with salt acid. A devil's brew, if you will. It seems Glyda is out to annihilate the entire planet like I suspected. This orb here is made out of an aluminum/titanium alloy that prevents the substance from eating the container." 

"So she plans to put this in the water supply then?" 

"No, not exactly." 

"Then what exactly?" Xerxes steepled his fingers together, eyes keen on the Doctor.

"Since this brew will dissolve the water and replace it with a highly foul almost gelatinous smelly substance, I believe she will put the orbs into the city reservoir. There's a motion sensored release on these. When someone turns on the faucet, the sensor lights up, then the orb sprays out a cloud of the substance. It flows in the pipes and will eventually be ingested by the person." 

"What will happen to them?" 

"The salt acid neutralizes the smell. Thus when ingested, the person will essentially, be melted from the inside out. Like a snowman on a hot day, they will deteriorate. The hydrogen sulfide creates a crystalline compound I've never seen before and needs more studying. I don't fully understand the interaction, but the crystalline compound could be what Glyda is gunning for." 

"So what do you suggest we do?" Sienna interjected. " Raid the compound and foil the evil one?"

The Doctor smiled at his companion. "Exactly. If you let your policemen come up, she will have found a means to escape and in the rush to find and arrest her if she didn't escape, she will have already triggered the whole process into motion. Sienna and I must go and stop her. We will be as sneaky as possible. We will give you the signal when it's OK to come and take her, all right?" 

"Better than doing nothing." Xerxes decided.

Two hours later, the duo had been flown to the compound location. They disembarked the small Cessna in the woods nearby, gearing up for the mission. Sienna let go of the rope, swinging down to the ground. The Doctor helped her sort out her things as the suns rapidly went down. 

"You want to do this tonight or tomorrow?" she asked, loading her magnums and slinging a small backpack on her back. 

"Tonight. They would not suspect someone raiding their compound in the dark, Sienna." the Doctor stood up, ready to go. 

"All right," Sienna let him take her hand. "I'll do my best not to get separated from you, Doctor." 

"The same. Our objective is to stop the process before it happens. The water purification, what they call here a watershed, occurs at nine tonight. That's one hour we have to sneak in, foil the plot, and hope to bring Glyda to justice. Think you can handle it?" he teased as they walked closer. 

"Oh, I can. I'll make her eat my lead if I have to." the magnum clicked, signifying that the barrel was full. The Doctor admired Sienna's confidence, but still, he was quite worried about her welfare. It hadn't been long ago when an evil alien had put a trigger release device that would release poison inside the main artery to her heart. 

The Doctor remembered it with a shudder. For some reason still unknown to either of them, Sienna had gone into some kind of shock after she'd confessed to the Doctor. Sienna had attempted to seduce the alien, which then drugged her, implanted the device in her, then released her. Sienna had to be put on life support, as even the Doctor and the TARDIS combined could not help her. In a panic, he'd landed on earth, fast talked a cardiac surgeon to remove the device. The surgeon was a kind man, he'd done the work without asking questions. 

Sienna had been saved. She'd discovered the secret to the planet's changing government, which was why the alien wanted to shut her up. After she had recovered from the operation, she told the Doctor, he communicated it to Gallifrey, which released it to the planet. As far as he knew, the planet was in harmony with its people now. 

"Doctor? You're awful quiet." her voice cut through his thoughts.

"Just thinking about your misadventure last time, Sienna," he whispered to her. "I hope that it is the last time I ever have to see you suffer so." 

"I hope I never see you suffer, Doctor. We both have suffered in our past lives." 

"What? You can't regenerate." 

"For you, it's literal, for me, it's a metaphor. My life on earth was drab and mundane. With you, it's like I've been born again, Doctor. Life on earth literally seems a lifetime away. Do you understand me?" 

"Yes, I do." their hands linked them together as they approached the fence. 

"We can't climb this." the Doctor surveyed it in dismay. Sienna went over to the touch keypad at the gate entrance, pulled out her makeup compact, blew the dust onto the keys. 

"Lo and behold, someone's greasy fingers." the dust clung to someone's greasy fingerprints on the keys. Sienna pressed them, then the gate opened up. The Doctor watched her slide away the compact, looking at her in amusement. 

"We've got to get to the basement. They will release the orbs into the hole they dug." 

"She dug a hole instead of shipping the shit out to the reservoir site? Is that stupid or smart?" Sienna retorted. 

"Shhhh," he opened up a trapdoor she had not seen. "Down here." 

****

"Yikes!" Sienna squealed, brushing her shoulder as she stepped off the ladder rungs. 

"What is it?" the Doctor called her, swinging down after Sienna. She looked at her hand, then giggled to herself. Looking to the far wall, she picked up something and extended her arm so it was in the Doctor's face.

"It's a RAT, Doctor!" she gleefully chirped. The Doctor yelped, leaping backwards as Sienna put the rat on the floor. She watched it scamper away, giggling as the Doctor scowled at her. Giving him a big innocent grin, Sienna waited for him to dig out his map and navigate to the control room.

"We must stay together." he pushed her in front of him so he could watch her more closely. Sienna, gun drawn, led the way. 

"Wait," the Doctor halted them both. "Do you hear that?" 

It sounded like a drilling mechanism to them. The ground suddenly shook under them, pitching the Doctor onto the floor as Sienna's left side ran into the side of the tunnel. 

"Damnit," she hissed. "My bad shoulder just got a little pummeling." she gripped her shoulder as though she could stop the pain the tighter she held it. The Doctor got up, looking concerned for her. 

"Let me look." 

"There's no time, Doctor. We've got to stop this." she got up with a grunt of pain, once again leading the way.

"You sure you're all right?" they came to a grating. Dead end. Sienna gripped the bars with both hands, then pulled out her mini maglite, flashing it past the bars. Both of them looked in wonderment as the light shone about two feet away from them. Not surprisingly, the light did not reveal anything out of the ordinary. The drilling sound grew more intense, the Doctor and Sienna had to cover their ears. 

"I think we've reached the hole!" the Doctor shouted. 

"Ya think?" when the drilling stopped, Sienna tapped the top of the grating, listening to the echos it produced.

"I'd say they have water about five to ten feet away from us. Come back this way, I noticed a door." she turned, showing the Doctor a door he had not seen before. 

"Damnit. Locked." she swore. Sienna pulled out her magnum and aimed at the lock. Before she pulled the trigger, the Doctor stopped her, bringing out his trusty sonic screwdriver. 

"Ah, clever, Doctor." Sienna opened up the door easily now. They slipped through, then followed a small corridor to a laboratory area. More of the orbs were stacked in a neat cannonball arrangement in a crate. The area had plexiglas clear doors with a vacuum tight seal, so odiferous gasses would not be able to escape. Several fire retardent tables had been set up, various chemistry sets were brewing. 

"Phew!" Sienna remarked as soon as she entered. "What are we doing here, Doctor?" 

"Just passing through. We need a diversion so we can slip through more easily." 

The Doctor remembered hitting the fire alarm with Grace on their adventure. He looked around, but there wasn't an alarm to be seen. Sienna looked, seeing a keypad with a card slot near the farthest door. She strode over, then picked up a screwdriver from a desk. 

"What are you doing?" the Doctor asked. 

"You'll find out in a minute." she selected a few wires, then touched them together. The keypad blinked a menu, she scrolled down until she found the fire code. Pressing the right buttons, a klaxon sounded right behind them, red panic lights began to flash. Sienna grinned as the Doctor grabbed her hand and bolted. 

"This way!" he shouted. 

"You memorize the way?" 

"Precisely!" they stopped at a big steel reinforced door that another red panic light was flashing above it. 

"Got your makeup compact for this one?" Sienna pressed the keys and the door opened. 

"What?" 

"I memorized the first combination, Doctor!" he took her right hand and fled with her into the control room. 

"All right..." the Doctor trailed off. "Before they come back, we must shut the doors. Xerxes will be here soon with reinforcements as we dismantle this." 

"Doctor! This whole thing! I'm not that smart with wires, you know." they were standing on the edge of what looked like a swimming pool. On either side were giant steel doors that could be programmed to shut over the water. Above them was a giant platform with a box at the center. 

"We must kill the power and get those orbs into safe hands. Glyda's pure evil and if this goes through, it means catastrophe and annihilation for the entire planet! Even if they don't consume the water, the smell of hydrogen sulfide over time will creep into the atmosphere and suffocate them!" the Doctor couldn't believe that Sienna was having doubts now, of all times!

"All right, all right, all right!" the klaxon had been turned off. Sienna looked at the Doctor. 

"What do I do?" 

"See if you can program the computer to close the water bay doors. I'll go up and get the orbs." the Doctor gave her an encouraging pat on the good shoulder as she nodded. 

"Okay. Sienna, you can do this." she sat herself down at the console behind the plexiglas barrier that overlooked the pool. Flexing her fingers, she began to type rapidly, making a noisy clicking sound. The Doctor once looked down to see her very focused on her task, and he grinned. Almost nothing could disturb her concentration now. 

The Doctor had put the orbs into the crate, hefted it up, then spied a half empty orb sitting on the console. He picked it up, got a little whiff of it, wrinkled his nose in disgust. The Doctor tightly secured it so it would not leak, then stuffed it into his pocket. He carefully descended the ladder, lugging the crate with him. 

"Stop where you are!" Glyda's voice rang out. The Doctor put the crate down, then looked to see the alien with an arm around Sienna's neck. 

"If you value her life, you will leave those right there and depart immediately." Sienna's brown eyes locked on the Doctor. She gave him a wink that he understood: all they needed was a distraction so she could punch the enter key and shut the doors. 

"Well?" Glyda barked. 

"Hang on, I just left my screwdriver over here." the Doctor, seeing that Glyda had no weapon, lunged at her. Sienna managed to bang the key to shut the door with a grin. Unfortunately, Glyda was more clever than they thought at first. With one smooth move, she managed to strangle Sienna, successfully stopping the human's breathing. 

"Sienna!" the Doctor cried out as Glyda sat at the console and began to type clumsily, trying to re open the doors. He leaned over to check Sienna's pulse, which was a bit thready, but still there. He began to breathe for her, pushing down on her lungs to get them to expand and contract accordingly. 

"Come on!" after his tenth try, Sienna started coughing wildly, her eyelids fluttered open. The Doctor propped her up, smoothing back her hair and talking to her comfortingly. 

"Son of a bitch!" Sienna spat as soon as she was able to. The Doctor helped her up as Glyda turned, leveling a Sig Sauer barrel directly at them. Sienna allowed the Doctor to pull her behind him, to keep her safe. 

"What did you do to this console?!" she squawked. 

****

Sienna smiled thinly, watching Glyda's angry expression. She stepped out from behind the Doctor, to his chagrin.

"I encrypted the program in over six million lines of code. The only way to find it is to go through them one by one. These computers don't follow the keystrokes and it's impossible to find it." she gloated. 

"You!" Glyda was outsmarted by a mere human! "You...!" she aimed the gun as Sienna yanked out one of her magnums and shot the monitor. 

"Come on, Doctor! Grab the crate and let's go!" Sienna yelled, not paying any more attention to Glyda. 

"Sienna!" the Doctor turned at the last minute and saw Glyda fire the gun. 

Sienna looked-a moment too late. The Sig Sauer 9 mm slug hit his companion in the left shoulder, driving itself deeply into her skin. Instantly, the Doctor could see her crimson blood bead up and begin soaking her clothes. He saw Sienna whip out her magnum and shoot Glyda twice, hitting her in the heart the second time. 

In falling, Glyda triggered the self destruct button. The klaxon began to wail again as the red panic lights began to flash. A figure ran up behind the Doctor and hoisted up the semiconscious Sienna. 

It was Quaree. The Doctor picked up the crate and shot the henchman a questioning look. 

"I never liked her." he looked towards Glyda. 

That was all that needed to be said. The structure began to shake as pieces of debris began to rain down around them. Quaree got them through most of the corridors, entering the keypad numbers. The Doctor hustled them on, narrowly avoiding getting smashed by chunks of steel girders in the main hall. 

Just as they were exiting the main door, the whole superstructure of the entire compound shook violently and collapsed-on Quaree. The alien had no time to move or think before the entire place rained down on him, killing him instantly. A rumbling down below echoed as the cement foundation cracked and collapsed under the strain. The Doctor and Sienna were thrown from the main entrance, about five feet away. 

"Where is he?"

"He's dead, Doctor. The whole thing went down on him." Sienna blinked, getting the dirt out of her eyes. The pain from her wound was threatening to make her lose consciousness, but she stubbornly held on. 

"No!" the Doctor shouted in disbelief. Sienna grabbed his collar and hiked him up. She ran out of compound's vicinity, followed by the Doctor and the orbs. At a safe distance, both of them panted as the compound ruins uttered internal explosions. The lookout tower had collapsed, the power lines went down, the security fences had all tipped askew, the wires bent out at several odd angles. 

"Well, Doctor," Sienna breathed heavily. "I think our task is done here." 

"Yes. You shot Glyda dead, but unfortunately her associate died in helping us. The planet's safe now, thankfully." he saw the planet's moons had risen. 

" Yes, thanks to you two," Xerxes's voice sounded. He, Kigora, and more men had arrived to excavate the ruins. "We owe you a great debt of thanks." 

"Sienna?" Kigora sidled over to her. "Are you all right?" 

Facing his companion, the Doctor saw her face was white and drawn. She clutched her left shoulder, her wound was still sluggishly oozing blood. 

"No." was all she could manage as she slumped down, saved by Kigora's strong arms. Xerxes peered at her, then motioned for the medical team to take her. 

"Come, Doctor. She will be in good hands." Sienna was taken away. The Doctor's head felt cloudy, it became harder for him to focus on what was being said. He suddenly felt dizzy, it was so hard for him to keep his eyes open....

"Doctor?" was all he remembered as he relented into the oncoming blackness......

The sounds of people talking was what roused Sienna. She opened up her eyes, seeing Kigora and Xerxes at the foot of her bed. Where was the Doctor, she wondered. 

Taking a mental inventory, she wasn't hurting except for a dull ache in her left shoulder. She could see, hear, touch, etc, so she was fine. Her mind felt a bit foggy, after all that she had been through, but she'd get the answers soon. Sienna turned her head and saw the Doctor lying in a bed next to hers. 

"Ah, I saw someone's awake." Xerxes actually smiled at her. Kigora took her hand reassuringly. 

"I think I'll let Kigora here answer the questions I'm sure you have. I better make plans for the party we're giving in your honor." Xerxes disappeared. 

Kigora sat down next to Sienna, propping the bed up a bit. 

"First, the Doctor's fine," he smiled at her. "Our medical staff diagnosed him with exhaustion. He's been pushing himself hard recently and he really needed the rest. Glyda is definitely dead, her entourage of troops and scientists have scattered themselves to the winds. We are issuing a most wanted poster with rewards, so hopefully that's incentive for people to recognize and turn them in. You'll be all right, the bullet didn't do any major damage. You'll have a nice scar to show off there, of course." 

"Kigora, thank you." 

"Not at all, Sienna. You've done our people a great service and we thank you for it. Now, go to sleep." 

"Aye aye." she closed her eyes. 

Some time later, the Doctor opened his eyes and saw Sienna lying in the bed next to his, she was sitting up and reading a book. He smiled, he was always finding her with her nose in a book all the time. Often, he would find her draped in odd positions, scrunched up at the edge of the couch, legs dangling over the arms, or even lying on the seat portion with her legs draped over the back of the couch. 

"Is it still Ghosts?" he asked her, grinning. 

Sienna nearly dropped the book. "Oh, Doctor! I didn't hear you, obviously." she giggled at him. 

"I could gather that. Now, when do we get out of here? Pardon me, but are you all right?" 

****

"Doctor, I'm just fine. They removed a small slug from where Glyda shot me, but other than that, I'm in pristine health. I don't even need any pain meds at all. I bet they'll let me go, and you. Now that you're finally awake and you're blood counts are normal-for a Gallifreyan anyway." 

"Good to know. Now, where are the discharge papers?" he sat up, got up, then dressed himself in the bathroom. Sienna had already gotten dressed with assistance, her arm was in a sling. Her combat clothes had been freshly laundered and returned to her. The gunbelt was in her backpack, which sat at the side of her bed. 

"Ah, I heard the Doctor was awake," Xerxes strode in. "You're free to go anytime." 

"What, no legal red tape to sign?" Sienna didn't know whether to be happy or confused, so she opted for confused. 

"At any rate, this is not a hospital, it is an outpatient care center. It's like your earth ERs, but we don't need any ID bracelets or anything like that." 

"I wish the attire had changed," the Doctor dumped the gown into the receptacle. "It seems all the planets' hospitals and or medical facilities they all have the same patient gowns." 

"Me too. Nothing worse than being in bed bare assed." Sienna grumbled, getting up. 

"Language," the Doctor admonished. "You earth Americans have the worst language I've ever heard." 

"Gee, thanks." she taunted playfully as he picked up her backpack. 

"We have a system for tracking patients, implanting a small chip in their wrists we can scan with a barcode reader. There's no need for signatures anymore, everything is digital." Xerxes led them to the doors. 

"If you like, you can attend a gala party tonight. Our council and other representatives from other cities will be there. With the war finally ended, we are to begin our negotiations for peace treaties and such. We shall come to an amicable agreement where capitalism wins out." they all walked to the sidewalk. 

"Wasn't much of a war, was it, with that evil witch." Sienna muttered to herself. 

"Actually, remember that crystal substance the Doctor told you about?" 

"What of it?" 

"We've managed to get some and performed extensive testing on it. It appears to be some kind of longevity enhancing substance." 

The Doctor and Sienna halted in their steps. "What? So the fountain of youth was in a lethal combination of two chemicals?" he asked, narrowing his eyes in the bright sunlight. "She was going to annihilate the planet because of that?" 

"Apparently so," Xerxes sighed. "I can understand some people's motivation towards evil-money, power, etc,-but the fountain of youth I thought was a legend. When applied to the body the skin instantly smooths out and looks younger. We haven’t tested it on the cellular level yet." 

"I hope you be careful with that. Don't let word get out." Sienna warned him. Xerxes gave her a smile.

"I believe the crystal substance is in a safely concealed safe. To use the substance, I have designated it only for medicinal purposes. Say if someone needed to regenerate their skin after a bad burn, it could be used. But we will not stand by and idly sell it to vain people because they want to look younger." 

"After a burn went down to the bone, it could instantly produce new skin without scars?" Sienna inquired. 

Xerxes inclined his head. "That is what our research is showing. It needs more testing before we designate it for any other purpose that it might have." 

"Imagine that," the Doctor remarked. "Perhaps it wasn't just a legend after all." 

"Are you coming to the party tonight?" 

They glanced at each other. "No thank you, Xerxes," the Doctor smiled at him. "I believe Sienna and I have had enough excitement for now. We need some downtime, then on to the next adventure. If you should ever need us again, contact us, by all means." 

Xerxes cuffed each of them on their shoulder-the Xylor way of saying goodbye-, smiled, then left them alone. 

"Come, Sienna," the Doctor put his hand on her good shoulder. "The TARDIS and another adventure awaits us." 

"On our way." 

Together, they hiked to the TARDIS.


	3. Epilogue to chapter 2

Epilogue story two. 

Tying Up Loose Ends

8th Doctor/Original Character

Hurt/Comfort/Comedy/Introspection

Once they got back to the TARDIS, Sienna headed for her room, where she changed into her leopard print pajama pants, and a black camisole top. Sliding into her clogs, she walked back into the console room and watched as the Doctor was effecting a few repairs to the console.

"I can do some car work, but nothing like this." she eyed the churning rotor column. 

"Ah, you're back," he put his hammer away. "Would you like tea?" he slid out from under the console, stepping up and brushing back his flyaway hair. 

"Hot cocoa is my thing, Doctor. If you have any of that..." her brown eyes playfully teased him as he watched her. 

"I sure do." he disappeared. Sienna pushed open the doors to the cloister room, climbed the steps, then went into the left side balcony. She imagined herself in a Juliet style dress, gazing down into her Romeo's lovesick eyes. 

"I have no ear for Shakespeare. I can't understand it without my English teacher." she grinned sheepishly, looking at the shut Eye of Harmony. A sudden thought came to her and she began to recite from one of the numerous books she had read. 

"Do you think I can stay to become nothing to you? Do you think I am a machine without feelings? Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, and plain, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! I have as much soul as you--and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me as it is now for me to leave you. I am not talking to you now through the medium of conventionalities or even of mortal flesh: it is my spirit that addresses your spirit, just as if we stood at God's feet-equal as we are!" she said with a flourish.

"Very good." the Doctor stood at the foot of the stairs. Sienna turned with a gasp. 

"You startled me! You have the annoying habit of doing that!" she giggled.

"You were so wrapped up in your little performance there. Was that Jane Eyre?"

"Very much. I love that book. Chapter eleven, where Mr. Rochester tells Jane of his 'marriage' and says she must leave." 

"A wonderful book, it is," he stood with her, both went down the stairs to the console room where the mugs were waiting for them. " What is your favorite scene?" 

"Where Jane departs the mansion. I like the emotion. Why?" 

"Let us act it out then. One instant, Jane. Give one glance to my horrible life when you are gone. All happiness will be torn away with you. What shall I do, Jane? Where to turn for a companion and for some hope?" the Doctor put his hand on Sienna's arm. 

"Do as I do: trust in God and yourself. Believe in Heaven. Hope to meet again there." Sienna guided him to the couch and sat down with him. 

"Then you condemn me to live wretched and die accursed?" he mournfully asked, reaching up and drawing her short red hair back from her face. Sienna clasped his hand with hers as she looked into his eyes. 

"I advise you to live sinless, and I wish you to die tranquil. We were born to strive and endure-you as well as I. Do so. We must keep the law given by God; laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation; they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigor. Foregone determinations are all I have at this hour to stand by; there I plant my foot." 

Sienna got up and walked away a few steps when the Doctor got up after her, grabbed her arm, and forced her to face him. He gripped her shoulders, mindful of her sore one. 

"Never was anything at once so frail and so indomitable. A mere reed she feels! I could bend her with my finger and thumb, and what good would it do? Consider that eye: consider the resolute, wild, free thing looking out of it, defying me. Whatever I do with its cage, I cannot get at it, the savage, beautiful creature! And it is you, spirit, that I want. Oh, come, Jane, come!" Sienna shook loose again and walked to the door. 

"You are going, Jane?" 

"I am going, sir." 

"You are leaving me? You will not be my comforter, my rescuer? My love, my woe, my prayer, are nothing to you?" 

"I am going." 

"Jane!" 

"Mr. Rochester!" 

"Withdraw then-I consent-but remember, you leave me here in anguish. Go up to your own room, think over all I have said, Jane-think of me." the Doctor threw himself onto the sofa, his face in his hands. "Oh, Jane! My hope, my love, my life!" he cried out with such anguish, Sienna would have applauded. 

Staying in character, she knelt down by the sofa, raked back his wild hair, making him look at her. 

"God bless you, dear master! God keep you from harm and wrong. Direct you, solace you, reward you well for your past kindness to me." 

"Little Jane's love would have been my best reward. Without it, my heart is broken. But Jane will give me her love, yes. Nobly, generously." 

"Bravo, Doctor. Doctor?" Sienna looked at him. He was asleep. She chuckled, turning him over and cozying up next to him. Her left side was up in the air, her right was between the Doctor and the back of the couch. She put her head over one of his hearts and listen to the beat, which helped lull her to sleep. 

****

The Doctor woke up a few hours later as the TARDIS churned and wheezed away. He then realized that Sienna was leaning against him, sound asleep. He stroked her hair, looking at her shut eyelids, the way that she breathed. The Doctor drew her up a little bit and listened to the beat of her heart for a minute. 

Satisfied, he picked her up, then put her in his room, getting on the bed beside her. 

A week later, Sienna woke up from her sleep in a cold sweat. She brushed back her hair, cloaked in blackness. Knowing that she didn't want to be alone, she crept across the hall to the Doctor's room. Clad in her blue plaid pajamas, she opened up the door and peeked into his room. The four poster bed had the curtains pulled back, tied down. 

"Uh, move over." she whispered, pushing the Doctor aside so she could climb into the bed. Sienna settled herself in, but found out she couldn't sleep. To make matters worse, twenty minutes had elapsed and the Doctor began to snore. 

"You gotta be kidding me!" she rolled her eyes. When she couldn't take it anymore, Sienna reached over and pinched his nose shut. His respiratory bypass system kicked in and he began to snore even louder from his mouth. 

"Gimmie a break!" she had a momentary vision of herself stroking the Doctor down south, but didn't think about doing it. 

The snores became wall shaking loud. Sienna grabbed a pillow and whacked the Doctor on the side of the head. He snorted once and finally opened his eyes. 

"Sienna? What.." he trailed off as she snuggled up next to him. She grabbed his arm and draped it around her. 

"I had a horrible nightmare, Doctor. Your snores just added to it." she said flatly. 

"Nightmare? What about?" Sienna didn't reply for a moment, then he heard her breath catch. 

"I killed her, Doctor! I just pulled the trigger and left her to die there alone! My conscience won't....." 

"Forgive you? Your mind won't let you forget it. It was a traumatic experience." 

"Right. So why did I do it in the first place?" he heard her sniff. 

"Put it this way: Glyda would have killed you in a second. I consider your life the better gain. You had no choice." 

"I always have a choice." she looked at him in the dark, mopping her face. 

"I have never seen you cry before, Sienna." 

"Well as you said, it was a traumatic experience. I mean, if I hadn't...done her in, then the planet would be annihilated and I would have died." 

"In all likelihood, I may have ended up near death and regenerating again. What you did, Sienna," he closed his hands over hers. "Saved all the lives on that planet. Do you regret it, really? Look inside yourself, consider the ramifications either way. Trust your instinct, do you regret it?" 

After a long pause, Sienna replied: "You're right, Doctor. You usually are." 

"You'll get over it. I hope we don't have to kill any other aliens, but when there's no alternative.... desperate times-"

"Call for desperate measures. Right. I feel like I've committed an unpardonable sin, though." 

"You have not. Sienna, relax. It's over and done now, you'll get over the guilt in time. Right now, I'd like to sleep. Do you feel like you could?" 

"I'll try, Doctor." she felt a small wave of drowsiness wash over her. 

"Good." he kissed her and watched as her eyes closed. 

Without warning, Sienna got on top of the Doctor and began to neck him. He enjoyed it, while looking at her with questioning eyes. 

"Forgive me, Doctor. I just need physical contact right now. I need to know that you don't think any less of me because of what I did." she said, lifting her head up off of his. He put his hands on her arms, mindful of her still sore shoulder. Sienna's shirt was unbuttoned at the top, giving him a glimpse of her cleavage. 

"I understand." he told her. 

"Thanks. I won't go all the way with you. I just want to tease you a little bit." she looked into his eyes as she locked lips with him again. 

"Would I be your first, not counting the rape?" he asked seriously.

Sienna giggled, necking him a little bit more. Then she raised up her head again, looking into his eyes as she spoke. "No." 

"What?" 

"No, you wouldn't be," she repeated. "Remember that soldier who had eyes for me?" 

"It was obvious." 

"The night in camp? Right after everyone else retired, we sat by the fire, and I let him....rock my world." 

****

"WHAT?!" the Doctor exploded, sitting up and nearly knocking her off the bed. "You let yourself be taken advantage of?!" 

Sienna got up, standing on the floor in her bare feet. "What's the big deal? It was consensual, Doctor!" he got up and walked into the console room, clad in his blue pajamas and barefoot as well. Sienna followed him, indignant and confused he'd act that way. 

"Okay, so you WHORED yourself to him? Gee, that sounds better!" he snapped. 

Sienna's eyes nearly fell out of her head. The Doctor making a totally ludicrous statement about her sex life! Women would get upset and cry, but not Sienna. Her temper was famous back home, she'd only let it loose when she was extremely angry, which, fortunately was rare. But when she got going, even the Doctor couldn't stop her. 

"How dare you, Doctor! I do not have loose morals and I'm not a hot sex hound that trails around for an ass in tight fitting jeans!" she had to smile at the image for a moment. "I have my reasons for what I did and I don't think you'd be up for hearing them right now! If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go back to my bedroom and think about what an ass you are!" she turned tail and fled before he could utter another word. 

An hour later, Sienna woke up and could not get back to sleep. The secret was out, the Doctor had accused her of being a whore. It was noontime that day, normally the Doctor would roust her out by ten AM. Knowing she'd have to face him if she had lunch, she took her daily medicine and got into her tankini swimwear. One of the gardens had an in ground pool that she could use anytime. Putting on her terrycloth cover up, she marched to the pool, avoiding the Doctor. 

Once there, she discarded her towel, cover up, and sandals. Sienna stood on the diving board at the deep end, then jumped in. 

"Fuck, the damn chlorine," she hissed. "Almost forgot my mask." she strapped it on, sealed it to her face, then began to dive for rocks she'd dumped on the floor. The TARDIS pool was very unique, the deep end was ten feet, shallow end was two feet. It was very pretty, with stenciling done in waterproof paint. 

When she was floating on the surface, she caught sight of the Doctor walking towards the pool on the flagstone pathway. Sienna breathed deeply, then headed down to the deepest spot. From there, she knew she would be in blackness, but she could see him. 

One long moment later, he left, she waited a few moments more, then burst to the surface, her lungs aching. 

Afterward, she was sitting at the desk in her room, combing her hair, still in her wet tankini from her swim. Sienna was idly wondering about why the Doctor would be so mad about her having sex with Kigora until it hit her. She stopped and looked at herself in the mirror as the words coursed through her head: the Doctor wanted to have sex with her. 

"Hmmmmm....." she thought out loud. A devilish smile spread across her face as she got up from the desk. Pulling out a see through top with black bra, she put them on. A red thong and blue jeans later, she pulled on her sneakers and went to find the Doctor. 

Sienna found him, leaning over the TARDIS console, but not doing anything. He was just staring into the time rotor column idly. 

Coming up behind him, she knew if she tried to get him to talk, he wouldn't. The Doctor was very stubborn and it was hard for him to admit his feelings. Sienna wanted answers and she wanted them now.

Tapping him on his shoulder, he sensed who it was.

"Not now, Sienna. I don't want to talk to you. I can't believe you whored yourself out to him." he added on, wanting to hurt her again. Sienna ignored it like a pro, then remembered a technique her adopted family had taught her. It would be guaranteed to get a response from him, albeit it would be a nasty one. 

An evil grin on her face, she put her hands on his ass, feeling where his pants were. Brushing aside the waistcoat, she now wore a face of grim determination. She brushed her lips against his ear with a warning, "This hurts me more than it hurts you." without further adieu, she found his underwear band, then yanked it up as far as her strength would let her. The Doctor yelped as she let go of the waistband, yanked him away from the console, and put herself in front of him.

"What in the name of Rassilon was that for?" he nearly exploded. Sienna put her hand on the lapels of his waistcoat, then pulled his face harshly to hers. 

"I wanted you to turn around." she roughly kissed him. 

Seeing as he was not amused, Sienna put herself into it. She drove the Doctor into the wall, pressing his back into it, her lips glued to his. He was quite confused, looking at her with questioning eyes. She knew as soon as she felt a certain desire, she would drive him over the edge, then he would talk to her. 

He tried to push away, but Sienna grabbed him again, throwing him into the sofa, making him stumble and fall onto it faceup. She sprang onto him like a tiger, necking roughly and pinning his hands back above his head. Rubbing his inner legs with hers, she knew she was making progress on that front. The wild side of her had come out to play, and the Doctor was certainly her victim. 

"What is the meaning of this?" he yelped as she bit his ear and tugged at it with her teeth. 

"You told me I was a whore," she whispered into his ear, drawing a bit of blood. "Well, now I want you. You will give yourself to me." 

"I-" he stopped as she locked her legs around his waist, reached up, then took off her see through shirt, showing him her black lacy bra. Sienna knew he was fully excited then, all she needed was something to drive him over the edge. 

The Doctor on the other hand, purely thought she'd lost her mind. He was sorry that he'd called her a whore, but he didn't want to go into it. She was being too rough for him, it wasn't his style. 

On the other hand, it did add a little excitement... 

His thoughts came back down to the TARDIS as he realized that Sienna was slowly beginning to undo his pants. 

"STOP!" he yelled. "All right, I'll tell you!" 

"Thank you!" Sienna crowed, putting the couch afghan around her shoulders. 

"You mean....." 

"Of course. You called me a whore, I just got into character." she sat beside him. 

"It's just this. I didn't mean to call you that, it slipped out. I don't know how to say this, but I'll just say it and you think whatever. I wanted to be your first." 

Her eyes widened a little bit as he went on. "I would introduce it to you slowly and show you that there's nothing wrong with oral sex. The key to it is being with a person that you love and trust. I've had dreams about us in that way, Sienna. I called you a whore because I was hurt and I didn't know what else to say. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it." 

"I know you didn't. I'm surprised, Doctor. I did think once that you wouldn't look twice at me in that way. I'm flattered." 

"Do you think that it's possible for us to.....?" he trailed off.

Sienna laughed. "Oh, I think so. I had sex with Kigora because I wanted to prove to myself that I was not afraid of intimacy, Doctor. I also wanted to see if there were any vague memories about the rape that might have sprung up. There weren't. And also, I knew you and me would enjoy it sometime, so I guess I just wanted a little.....practice." she sheepishly smiled. 

"Well.... I don't quite know what to say..." 

"How about we just forget about this, hmm? My birthday is next week, and we can celebrate then." 

"Deal. I bet we both lost sleep last night, so what do you say we get some shut eye?" he put on a record with slow music. Sienna listened, it was very soothing. It was also very dull. 

"I don't think I could stay awake during this song, Doctor." she giggled. He curled up with her on the sofa, arms around her. 

"That's the idea." he kissed the top of her head as he drew the afghan around him as well.


	4. Happy birthday, Sienna

Happy Birthday, Sienna

8th Doctor/Original Character

Drama/Hurt/Comfort

"So where would you like to go today, Sienna?" the Doctor looked at her, stretched out on her bed, clad in a black skirt with slits up to her knees in both sides. She wore a halter top colored gray, it fitted with a loop of material around her head, it ran through a hole in the center of her breast. Her skirt was a purple, pink, blue, and green design. Sienna wore no shoes, she was thumbing through one of her favorite books, Real Ghosts, Restless Spirits, and Haunted Places by Brad Stieger. 

"Someplace with ghosts!" she announced triumphantly. The Doctor looked at her quizzically, sitting down by her side on the bed. 

"Surely you don't believe what you're reading?" he poked at her book. Sienna put it aside and looked at the Doctor evenly, not wanting to pick a fight with him.

"It would be a great adventure, Doctor. I know you don't believe and that's all well in good. I'm the open minded skeptic here. When you see for your own eyes a ghostly white apparition that rational minds can't explain, then what will you do?" 

"Interesting," he pondered that for a moment. "I would say I was dreaming." 

"Typical," Sienna grunted. "When all your rationalization fails you, what do you do?" 

"I guess that depends on the situation at hand, Sienna," he took her hand and guided her off her bed. "Why don't you put some shoes on and join me in the console room?" 

She slipped on her favorite flip flops, the LLBean ones with the red straps that had embroidered black labrador dogs on them. Her nails and feet had been painted a glittery purple, complimenting her outfit perfectly. The Doctor admired them for a moment before walking with her out the door of her room. 

"I happen to think all of that is bunk." the Doctor plugged in some numbers to the console and the TARDIS wheezed along the vortex. Sienna curled up on the couch, slipping off the flip flops and concealing her naked feet beneath the long skirt. 

"You may think all of it is 'bunk' Doctor," she spoke quietly. "But when it happens to you, don't come crying to me. All I can say is enter a situation with an open mind, like I do." 

"I will keep that in mind, Sienna. The TARDIS just picked up an uncharted planet. What do you say we go and take a look?" 

Sienna had been tapping her right index finger against her cheek, wondering about the Doctor for a moment. She put her arm around the Doctor's shoulders, giving him a peck on the cheek. 

"Let's go." 

****

Decked out in what she called her 'combat gear', black track pants with three white racing stripes down the sides, blue camisole top, and hiking boots with gunbelt, Sienna stood in the console room with the Doctor. She looked as he pressed buttons and looked up at the planetarium roof above the five steel girders. 

"My sensors show that it's currently uninhabited," his brow furrowed. "Well, we must go and have a look at what this planet is like, eh?" 

"As you wish, Doctor." as an afterthought, Sienna tied her fleece jacket around her waist by the arms. It was purple with black running up the sides and stopping just after her armpits. 

Suddenly, a high pitched hissing sound filtered through the air to their ears. Sienna picked it up first. 

"Doctor, what is that sound?" 

"What?" he listened. "Ears like a bat, Sienna," he complimented her. 

"Thanks, Doctor." just then, all the lights in the TARDIS went out. The ship gave a sudden buck, both were thrown off of their feet. 

"Doctor?" Sienna blinked, realizing she was by the entranceway to the ship. Sprawled on her back, she began to pick herself up, then remembered the TARDIS was in a blackout. Only the time rotor's eerily glowing blue columns were visible. Sienna fumbled for the emergency box, knocked it open, then picked up a flashlight. 

Shining it near the console, she could see the Doctor, leaning against one of the steel girders, slumped over. Sienna went over to him, seeing his eyes were shut. 

"Hot damn," she muttered. "Let me grab something." 

Sienna hightailed it to her room where she hurriedly knocked open her closet doors. Throwing a few boxes out of the way, she grabbed her first aid kit and dashed back into the console room. She grabbed the Doctor by the lapels of his waistcoat and laid him down on the floor. Propping up his head in her lap, she opened up the box and pulled out a small bottle. Sienna opened it up, then waved it under the Doctor's nose. 

His eyelids fluttered, his nose wrinkled in disgust as he smelled the substance. Sienna giggled.

"That's it, Doctor." she spied a thin trickle of blood, which she wiped off. Shining the flashlight, she saw a small shallow gash near his temple. Sienna pulled out an antiseptic pad, bandage, and some gauze. 

"Now if that didn't wake you up completely Doctor, this will definetly help." she grinned as she opened up the antiseptic pad, touching it to his wound first, then pressed it in deeply, mopping out the blood. The Doctor's eyes opened up, he winced in pain.

"Oh, stop it. I've endured far worse than this, Doctor." her voice relaxed him and he tried to turn his head to see her. Sienna frowned and turned his head back to where she needed it to be. 

"What are you doing?" he asked, dazed.

"What does it feel like? You've got a small gash here and I must tend to it. The TARDIS bucked like a bull or something and we landed here. Hold still!" she had to smile as he kept craning his neck to see her. 

"Fine. You are obviously all right." he stated. 

Sienna giggled. "Who's administering to who?" the blood and wound cleaned up, she put Neosporin on it, then bandaged it up tightly. 

"Touche." he smiled at her. 

"Okay, Doctor. You may want an aspirin or two for this, but it's real shallow. Come on up." she guided him up slowly from the floor. Both of them felt a slight feeling of shame, it was the TARDIS, apologetic for knocking them down upon landing. Sienna sent the TARDIS a warm forgiving feeling. 

"I should get to work on the power situation here," the Doctor remarked. "I want you, Sienna, to-"

"I'm going out to explore. I won't go far, Doctor," she smiled. "I swear." 

"I've no doubt you can take care of yourself. Stay close by and we'll go exploring together." he returned the smile, heading for the main circuits.

"Yes, Doctor." she turned and exited the TARDIS. 

****

Sienna had always been interested in ghosts and the paranormal. As soon as she opened up the doors and stepped outside, she had been greeted with a chilly blast of air. A peculiar sense began to steal over her, a sense partially derived of bewilderment and confusion. She unknotted her fleece jacket and zipped it on, not knowing what else to do.

"What happened to this planet?" she said to herself, looking, but all she could see was a barren white world. Without knowing why, she turned in one direction and began to walk. 

As she walked, she thought of her past and her friends. One friend and her little sister agreed unanimously that they believed in ghosts. Sienna had brought over her adopted mother's Ouija board one night, keeping the little sister out of it. She was ten years old and it was not a good idea to expose one to the board when they were that young. 

"Think we'll pick up anything tonight?" Sienna had asked, sitting herself down on the floor with her friend, Roxie.

"Who can tell?" Roxie said, picking up the board and laying it out. " I just don't want Nicky to get exposed to it when she's only ten." 

"I agree with that completely." they settled in to see what they could find. 

Without more people for any lower entities to draw energy from, they only managed to raise one spirit. It turned out that spirit had been haunting Roxie's mother off and on ever since she was a girl. Sienna called it a night and left the planchette on GOOD BYE for a few minutes afterwards, glad she'd read up on what to do when engaged in the board. 

Sienna had wanted badly to catch an orb or any kind of photo anomaly. So, she'd taken the little sister, Nicky, with her as she went to a local cemetery with her digital camera. Being cautious, she had mentally made up a short prayer in her head before entering. The prayer was for if there really were lesser entities lurking about, that they wouldn't harm her. Also for her own conscience, she prayed the souls of the departed would know that she wasn't there to vandalize, like other idiots.

It was a nice quiet place to be. Cemetaries were usually tranquil and very peaceful places to be, and the one she was in was no exception. Her little expedition had been a complete bust. Nicky had been there, admiring some intricately carved headstones. Sienna had made a point of bringing Nicky there, telling her that she did not want Nicky to be afraid of cemeteries in general. The ten year old had frolicked around, occasionally calling Sienna to look at a tombstone. 

For Sienna, she had been able to keep her emotion in check until she saw one grave. An American flag had been put into the soil, and the resin sculpture of a dog digging, the head and forepaws gone, to make it look like it was burying it's front half into the dirt. Tears had come to her eyes, but she would not let them fall. And then she had momentarily let herself feel the anguish of the family, as they had interred their loved one to rest. It was an overwhelming feeling, like the devastation she had felt when she was a child, when one of her family's beloved pets had died.

Only that spot in particular seemed to resonate the anguish. Sienna didn't know why she had picked up on it. She was an animal lover, perhaps it had been the dog sculpture there that had really driven it home for her. 

She remembered seeing a stone that had fallen off of the pedestal, and was broken, it was in three pieces on the ground. The date was around 1810-1820 that she remembered, and she had wanted to replace the stone at the time. She could sense somehow that the spirits knew she was there, didn't mind her, and even liked Nicky. 

Trudging on, Sienna brought herself back to the present as she discovered a cave. Turning on her small flashlight she kept with her, she began to poke around inside it. 

"Wow." was all she said, seeing the small tunnel in front of her. Picking up one of her magnums from it's holster, Sienna held the gun in one hand, the flashlight in the other. 

A small clattering sound reached her ears from about ten feet away from her. She leveled the gun, looking around warily.

"Hello?" her voice resonated and echoed. Then she heard it.

A small voice clearly saying help me. 

"I'm coming!" she cried out, breaking into a jog. After a moment, she entered a wide sphere shaped room. A small bench was in the middle, nothing else. Sienna looked around, taken aback. Then, a million little beams of light gathered together and began to coalesce into a human form. 

"Oh my God," she breathed. "How do you need help?" 

The figure was lit with the outline of dark blue lights running through it. A small girl with long hair, dressed in a tunic and long skirt, looked at Sienna. 

You're not my mommy. the girl spoke, her voice hard and cold. I need Mommy to help me, not you! a ball of light appeared in her hand. Without further ado, she flung it at Sienna accurately, causing her to scream as the light shocked her body. 

Sienna was just able to register the fact that she was thrown back into the wall, where she slid down, lying on the stone floor. Then, her eyes closed. 

****

The Doctor, meanwhile, was busy in the main power system of the TARDIS. He replaced the burned out fuses and whatnot, then flipped the power switch. Nothing.

"Hang on then." he muttered to himself, remembering to flip the switch up and down a few times. He looked at the power grid, eyeing all the labels for various rooms. The Doctor had labeled them all in pen, mindful that pencils fade after awhile. The circuits were much like a house had, a green light beside each label meant that the room had power. 

"Splendid." he said, shutting the fusebox and latching it securely. He ambled out of the main power room back to the console room, looking at the readout of the console. All was back to normal, as far as he could see. 

"Now, let's go and see where Sienna has gotten herself to. Hopefully not trouble." he stepped outside the TARDIS, seeing Sienna's bootprints in the snow. The Doctor darted back in, to snatch an overcoat and a space blanket. He began to trek after Sienna, hopeful that she wasn't in any kind of trouble. 

The Doctor had to admit to himself, he liked Sienna. When she had first come aboard, he wasn't too thrilled that she was toting guns. Their first mission together had come about during a random landing on a planet for the Doctor to see some old friends of his. It was meant for Sienna to have a gentle introduction into his time traveling and planet hopping ways. 

But, the planet was nearing a social upheaval. Both of them had been thrust into the situation unwillingly, the Doctor had agreed to help remedy the situation reluctantly. 

The leader of the movement was An'oc, a shady person by all accounts. The Doctor was unsure of how to infiltrate his base to steal his plans, but Sienna had piped up with an idea. She suggested throwing a gala ball under the guise of friendship with the radicals, as they had been deemed. 

Sienna was sure that though An'oc was alien, he looked human and would have human desires. She had dressed up in her sexy blue dress, talked up some people at the ball, then pinned her sights on An'oc. The crafty lady managed to seduce An'oc, he took her to bed with him, but he had drugged her. He was incredibly paranoid as she had known, but even she had not anticipated what he would do to her. 

Luckily, he had told her his plan for the planet beforehand. 

The Doctor inwardly shuddered, remembering how the bastard had implanted a time release poison trigger into Sienna's aorta. Nobody had anticipated just how paranoid An'oc was. They couldn't have known, either. Sienna had reluctantly shown the Doctor the mark An'oc had made, cutting into her flesh and putting the tiny poison capsule into the wall of her aorta. 

Once she'd told him, she had felt better a little bit, reassured by the fact that the Doctor knew and would help her. The capsule had already begun to interfere with her normal functions, he'd come in later to see how she was and Sienna was already beginning to fail. 

Scared, he had hurried to put her on life support, under the TARDIS's guidance. He'd rushed to find a cardiologist, brought one back to the TARDIS, and they had gotten rid of the capsule before it could poison her. 

The cardiologist had come with him without a question. Even now, the Doctor was still surprised that the doctor had come with him. He eventually realized that the cardiologist was very much dedicated to his duty, prepared to go above and beyond the call of duty to help people in need. He didn't even charge for his services, the Doctor remembered.

Dr. Halyard was his name. The Doctor noted to himself that he'd have to go back and thank him. Sienna was alive and well, thanks to him. 

Sienna's footprints entered into a cave. The Doctor pulled out a flashlight and began to follow where her wet bootprints led him to. After a few moments, he came to the wall where the prints ended. 

"How in Rassilon did this happen?" he ran his hands over the wall, wondering. One hand brushed against a hidden trigger switch, the wall swung inward, throwing the Doctor off his feet. When he got up, he saw the spherical room with one bench in it, and a dark figure in the corner. The entire room was illuminated with an eerie dark blue light, he noticed, walking over to the corner.

"Sienna!" he cried out, picking up her prone form and frantically checking her pulse. It was there, strong as ever. 

"How did this happen?" the Doctor checked for bumps and bruises on her head, but there weren't any at all. 

"Sienna, wake up!" he pleaded, his lips to her ear. Her lips were beginning to turn blue from the cold, their breaths condensed in the cool air. She only had on her fleece jacket for protection, the Doctor noted with a grim face. The space blanket he had wouldn't do her any good down in the cave. 

The eyelids opened up, he saw the warm brown eyes as she looked at him. 

"Thank Rassilon," he grinned. "What on earth happened to you?" 

"I just fell in here through that trick wall there. Then that ghost of a girl came and used some type of energy ball to hit me and knock me out," she breathed. "Where is that ghost?" 

"Ghost? You must be delirious," he checked her forehead. "You do feel a bit warm there. I'm getting you out of here." 

No! She cannot go anywhere! the girl ghost materialized into the room. She is one of them. 

"What in the name of-"

"Rassilon," Sienna grinned. "I just had to do that." she added when he looked at her.

"I know you," the Doctor spoke. "Gailyn." 

How do you know me?! Gailyn shrieked. 

"You ran into here with your mother eons ago. She was trapped in a mudslide and died." 

You LIE! She is not dead! 

"Gailyn," Sienna spoke quietly as she ghost turned to her. "I've never known the Doctor to lie. I know lots about ghosts like you. You're stuck here, looking for your mother. You cannot cross over until you find her." 

How do I find her? Gailyn was instantly calmer. The Doctor knew that Sienna did have a calming effect on most people. He did not know why, perhaps it was her tone of voice or her demeanor. At any rate, Gailyn could most certainly sense now that Sienna meant to help her move on. 

"I will." 

"Sienna, you can't-"

"I said I can, Doctor! Please believe me. I must shut off my senses and listen to the psychic vibrations." she shut her eyes, standing in a kind of a trancelike state. The Doctor rolled his eyes, obviously not buying what she was doing. 

"Over there." she pointed. 

How do I know you're not making it up? Gailya snapped out.

Sienna opened up her eyes. "You don't. You must take my word that I am here to help you. I do not want to harm you or anybody. Please, walk into the light. Your mother will be there waiting for you." 

I think I can see the light! How do I know that it won't hurt me? 

"You're dead, Gailya. your physical body has long since turned to dust and returned to the planet. Trust me, it won't hurt you. Can you see your mother?" 

I can! She turned back to Sienna. I'm sorry, for hurting you. 

"Forget about it," she smiled. "I'm tough, I can handle it. Now go on, you mother wants you." 

Gailya gradually vanished. The Doctor took Sienna's arm and pulled her to the door, walking her out of the cave. 

****

"Sienna, what was all that?" he brusquely asked, guiding her to the opening. 

"Are you kidding me? You witness me helping a confused spirit into the light and you still don't believe, do you," she stated. " Well, that was something your logical and scientific mind could not handle and you're angry about it. Be angry, just don't take it out on me, all right? Tomorrow's my birthday and I hope you're in a better mood!" she stalked off to the TARDIS, disgusted with the Doctor's attitude. 

When he caught up to her, he found her holding her head, sitting on the couch. He immediately grew concerned, shed his coat, then sat down beside her. 

"What is it?" 

"I do not feel too well, Doctor. I believe I will retire now. I'll feel better tomorrow." she murmured, rising and going to her room. 

Sienna shed her clothes, stashed her gear, then slipped on her blue pajamas. She brushed her teeth and went into bed. 

Two hours later, the Doctor was sitting down, poised to write in his journal, but he was sitting there, unable to write a thing. The pen was ready, yet it hung in midair. He was thinking over the encounter and her accusing words flashed through his mind again: When all your rationalization fails you, what do you do?

He couldn't rationalize it in any way. What troubled him is that he'd faced something he could not explain, it was not possible-in his mind-, to shed the physical body and have the spirit still hanging around. And yet he'd heard from philosophers that the soul was immortal, it survived death and could hang around long after it'd taken it's last physical breath. 

Getting up, the Doctor went into Sienna's bedroom to check on her. The dim light from the hallway silhouetted her face as he saw that she was looking flushed. Redness was highly prevalent, it was obvious that his companion was physically ill. He touched her cheek, it was hot to the touch. The best thing for her to do was to rest now. The Doctor left, shutting the door.

Going to his room, he changed up for bed, then fell into a restless sleep. 

The next day, Sienna woke up, feeling worse than the day before. She knew immediately that she had a bad head cold and would suffer for a week or two. Turning over in her bed, she answered nature's call, getting up. When she got back into bed, she was shivering and it took her awhile to get warm again. 

The Doctor had woken up when he heard her getting back into bed. Looking at his watch, he got up and did his usual routine. Still tying up his cravat, he walked into Sienna's room, looking at her. She was asleep, clutching her Stewie stuffed doll. 

"Sienna?" he checked her temperature, which was astonishingly high. Her very skin felt like it was in flames, a fiery fever churned within her. 

"Sienna!" the Doctor realized that fevers this high could be fatal to humans. He would hardly be bothered, where she may die if she did not get help fast. 

Programming the TARDIS to land on the nearest populated planet, the Doctor managed to give her oral medicine by fast talking her into it. She did, reluctantly, then fell back into her fevered oblivion.

"Some birthday present, indeed," he talked to himself. "Luckily the next planet we land on will be medically advanced enough for this to be cured easily. Just hang in there until we land." 

The Doctor stayed with her, holding her hand as the TARDIS churned and wheezed its way forward into the time vortex. 

TO BE CONTINUED...


	5. The 10th Doctor

The Tenth Doctor

A/N: The tenth Doctor appears, this is the between time when he is fresh with grief from losing Rose and before he meets Martha.

8th Doctor/10th Doctor/Original Character

Angst/Hurt/Comfort/Mild Sex

The TARDIS landed on the planet the Doctor had designated with a big thump, waking him up from his post beside his ailing companion's bed. He rubbed his eyes, glanced at Sienna, then made his way into the console room

"Perfect, old girl," he said aloud. "Now I must obtain medical supplies." 

A feeling of warm reassurance flooded through him. He understood-the TARDIS was merely letting him know that it knew Sienna would be all right. 

Before he left, he checked on Sienna. Her fever was down a degree, but it was still dangerously high for a human. He thought for a moment, then remembered that doctors once gave-and probably still did give-penicillin injections once every four hours to bring fevers down. Taking off for the medbay, he raided his meager stash, successfully finding a penicillin bottle and syringe. 

"I hope this will help her." he loaded it up, went back to her, and jabbed it into her arm. 

Staying with her for another few minutes, he didn't see any bad reaction from the drug. She never told him of her allergies and whatnot, so he never knew what to expect when he gave her a medicine of any sort. 

"I'm going to get medicine for you, Sienna," he scribbled out a note and left it on her bed table, where she would see it. "I'll be back in an hour." 

****

At the same time, a brown haired young man in his early thirties with big brown eyes was walking around the eastern promenade. Wearing a sedate brown suit and tie with a brown long coat, he watched idly as the planet's life passed him by. 

She had stood by him, albeit a little hesitant from the start. He understood that, he was not like his old self at all. 

Watching the birds soar and hearing their calls, he smiled for a second, then it disappeared. He missed her badly. He would never forget the last time he had seen her, she was devastated that she would never see him again. It broke his heart-both of his hearts to know that he would never see her, never again to see her smile, laugh, and be happy. She wouldn't be keeping him company anymore, it was a lonely life he was leading. 

Going past the medical supply store, he watched as a figure in a green waistcoat strode in, then ten minutes later he reappeared. Four bags stuffed with supplies he was clutching, seeming to be in a great hurry. Without a word, the brown eyed man followed him. 

Sienna's eyes opened up and she sat up in bed. Looking around, she did not seem to notice any other piece of furniture in the room other than the bed she was in. The now 24 year old woman got up, wandering the TARDIS in earnest. 

"Ugh," she grunted. "Where am I? Where are you, Mom? Dad? Why did you choose to leave me behind?" 

Sienna threw herself onto the library's couch, memories overcoming her. "Come back! I'll do better in school, I'll be nice to my brother!" she sobbed for a good five minutes before she got up and cleaned her face. Walking back to her room, she stumbled and fell at the threshold. When she looked up, the entire room was spinning. 

"Can you stop the room?" she asked nobody. "What the hell is happening to me?" sweat ran profusely down her skin, into her clothes. Sienna changed into a blue nightgown and sat on her bed, her head in her hands. 

Uttering a small moan, she collapsed on top of her bed, left arm dangling down, almost to the floor. Her languid eyes closed, submitting her back into the delirium. 

****

"Excuse me, Doctor," the brown eyed man caught up to the Doctor outside the TARDIS. He'd just put one bag down and was about to unlock the ship. Surprised, he looked over to see a man approaching him. 

"Yes? How did you know I am the Doctor?" he asked, suspicious.

The brown eyed man grinned. "Call it a hunch for now. I will explain myself in a little while, but I noticed you were in a hurry and I was asking if I could assist you?" 

"Uhhh..." he hedged.

" I will be upfront. I'm you." 

The Doctor's blue eyes widened. "Which?" 

"Ten." 

"Oh. I know the rules, you can't say anything about your past and how you regenerated, etc. Why are you here and where's your own TARDIS?" 

"My own TARDIS I was separated from on another planet. They packed me up in a mothership and dumped me off here. I can't seem to obtain civilian spaceships to get me where I need to go, so I was wondering if you'd help me out." 

"Of course. Step aboard, Doctor." he opened the door and gestured.

"Thank you, Doctor." the tenth Doctor was evidently fond of smiling. 

"Where is your TARDIS anyway?" they walked past the console room as the blue eyed Doctor opened up Sienna's bedroom door. The tenth Doctor eyed the ship, glad that the TARDIS had upgraded herself after the Time War. 

"I had stopped for a few minutes on Xylor 3." 

" Really? We just came from there, actually." 

"Oh, really? Now I remember, the government struggle, lassiez fare versus capitalism." 

"Right. Now, I must tend to my companion. She's very sick." the Doctor picked up the bags and moved into the room. The tenth Doctor looked into the room, a little taken aback by the room. The blue eyed Doctor began assembling necessary materials with a businesslike demeanor. When he was done, he stood up and leaned over his companion's prone form. 

Unseen, the tenth Doctor leaned against the wall, watching the two. 

"Oh Rassilon. Sienna, what did you do?" he tucked her back into her bed again. She stirred weakly, feverish brown eyes settled on her Doctor. 

I'd forgotten her eyes were brown thought the tenth Doctor, crossing his arms. 

"What's wrong with me?" she asked, her voice weak and her tone listless. "What is it?" 

"Just relax, Sienna," he pulled out a syringe. "I've got the meds necessary to fix you up properly. This time tomorrow, you'll be on the mend." 

"Oh, Doctor. They just left me!" she cried out. "Mom, Dad, they just up and went!" she clutched at his hand frantically, needing his comfort. 

"Shhhh. It's just a dream. Your fever is making you hallucinate. I will help you get better." 

"Promise?" her eyes were bright with tears. 

Both Doctors could have cried to see her so miserable and sick. The one at her side looked lovingly at her as he injected the substance into her veins. The one at the door remembered what a bright and vivacious personality she had, she instantly reminded him of another companion, unbidden tears came to his eyes. 

"Ow," she complained. " Doctor, what did you do to make the room spin? Can you stop it? I'd like to get off." 

He had to smile. "You should start to feel better in about two hours, tops. This medicine shouldn't give you any side effects," he brushed her damp hair away from her brow. "Go to sleep now." 

"Thank you, Doctor," she began to drift off. "I always feel safe....with you.." 

The tenth Doctor gave a start at hearing that. He went into the console room, settling down on the couch. He noticed one of Sienna's books lying on the end table and picked it up. The Count Of Monte Cristo. Opening it, he began to read the book, quietly immersing himself in the story and mercifully forgetting about his grief.

When he looked up, he noticed the current Doctor had situated himself in his chair, legs propped up, reading the Time Machine once again. 

Sliding his eyes back to the book, they both read in silence for an hour. 

****

The tenth Doctor got up to answer nature's call, then curiously stepped into Sienna's room. She was asleep, exhibiting no obvious signs of distress. He touched her forehead, her fever was gone. The young woman sighed fitfully, turning to her right side, towards him. 

"Rest well, Sienna," he whispered to her ear. "He takes good care of you." 

Going back to the book, he once more engulfed himself into the story. The current Doctor put down his book and stretched. He went over to the console and programmed the TARDIS to head into the future for Xylor 3. 

"I'm famished. Do you want anything?" he asked his future self. 

He looked up. "I'm game, Doctor. What have you got?" 

"You're me," he teased. "You should know what I have in my kitchen and what the old girl stocks up on." 

"I think you're right." they went off to the kitchen. 

Later on, they were both talking to each other about their past incarnation adventures, starting with number 7. They were so intent on their chatting, they didn't notice the time ticking by steadily. 

So intent they were, they were surprised to hear the clock chime ten times. Both Doctors got up, did what they had to, then went to bed. 

The next day, the blue eyed Doctor got up, letting his tenth incarnation stay asleep as long as he wanted. When he went into the console room, he saw Sienna, dressed in her multicolor skirt and matching purple off the shoulder top. Seeing the Doctor, she went to him and welcomed his warming embrace. He kissed her affectionately, mentally thanking Rassilon that she was healed. 

"Thank you, Doctor," she told him. "You're a true friend." 

He looked at her with a coy smile. "Just a friend?" she trailed her hands down to his waist, making him jump in surprise.

"Friends with benefits?" she teased. 

"Listen, we have a guest on board here. We're taking him back to Xylor 3. He's me. He's my tenth incarnation, Sienna. Do not ask him about anything of the future." 

"Uh, OK. I like to be surprised anyway," she looked a bit confused. "Is he still asleep?" 

"Yes. Apparently his TARDIS is on where we pretty much just left." he gestured for her to sit down on the couch. Sienna put her legs in his lap teasingly with a coy grin of her own. He rubbed her legs as he noticed a pendant she was wearing on a necklace. Two roses, one bigger at the bottom, silver colored, with a fake diamond in the very center of each. 

"If he's cute, Doctor, I may not be able to control myself." she said with due seriousness. 

He shrugged. "We're not dating, Sienna. Unlike last time, I shall not 'flip out' as you deem it, if you choose to do....you know, with another man. What I meant to say was that I'm sorry for what happened in the cave." 

"Right," she grinned. "I try not to take it personally, but sometimes it happens, Doctor. You found something with me that rationality could not explain, you freaked out. It happens to people. I would at least hope that I have opened up your mind more to the possibility." 

"I would be a complete fool if I didn't," he kissed her. "You opened it up." 

"Yay," she giggled. "So what was that I was afflicted with? I didn't die, did I?" 

"Nope. You had a high fever and I was concerned that if it rose much higher that it would weaken you more and make you susceptible in contracting another illness. I guess I got carried away because I feared you would die and you didn't come close to it. But Sienna, you're all I have in this universe." 

Her eyes got brighter, he realized she had teared up. The Doctor engulfed her in a big bear hug, hoping to wordlessly comfort her. 

"Thank you, Doctor. You're all I have too. I'm so glad I stumbled into this TARDIS and met you. You showed me there is more to life than obeying all the rules," she nudged him. " Staying on one planet, traveling through time, seeing history." 

"I taught you all that?" he laughed. "You're my sweet young lady, Sienna. Happy birthday." 

"It truly is, Doctor. Though my adopted family cared for me, I always thought I was a third wheel where they were obliged to care for me or something. Somehow I believed that it was all an act, to get me grown up and out of the house fast as they could. You showed me what it is like to be loved." they kissed. 

Standing in the doorway, the tenth Doctor watched the exchange wordlessly. His grief came back to him in a tidal wave, seeming to wash over him and bury him in it completely. Turning, he went into the garden near the pool. 

Some time later, he lifted up his head and saw Sienna walking over. She was wearing her tankini swimsuit, and had a sarong knotted around her waist. The tenth Doctor wiped his face and looked up at her with his brown eyes. 

"Okay, I may not be psychic, but I can definitely tell when one is grieving." she gave him a small smile. 

"Please, sit," he patted the grass next to him and took her hand, guiding her to sit down. "I take it then you know what it's like to lose someone that you love?" 

"More than you'll ever know, Doctor." her brown eyes clouded over with rememberances of all sorts-none of them happy. He looked at her, sensing her past grief. Sienna gave him a sad smile as he watched her expression for another moment or two. 

"Tell me about it. Did you ever lose a fiance or something like that?" he shed his brown trenchcoat, tossing it behind him. Sienna's cubic zirconia stud earrings glinted in the light, he looked at them for a second, then back at her. She had bowed her head, her eyes closed. 

"Sienna?" 

"Gone," she whispered to him. "I had someone I was devoted to, back when I was a child. My grandmother. She would visit me at my adopted parents' home, entertain me, and she was the first one I fled to when I discovered the truth about my past." 

"What exactly happened to your parents anyway?" Sienna shifted her position, leaning into the Doctor as she crossed her legs. He put his arm around her, letting her lean. 

"Mom and Dad were... Well, they had me and decided that they didn't want me. I was put into an orphanage a week after I was born, then I went into a foster family. After I grew up, I managed to put the pieces back together. Mom was from a family that was very prosperous and wealthy. My dad came from a family of abusive people. Both of them when they were together, I've heard, became habitual drug users and drinkers. I was very lucky when I was born that I was not born drug addicted or anything like that." she sighed. 

"You certainly are, Sienna." the Doctor rubbed her shoulders for a moment, letting her regroup her thoughts before continuing on.

"I was barely eighteen when I discovered all this. My grandma-Allie-she would tell me stories when I was growing up about what she was like as a kid. I later realized she was telling me stories about my birth mother. It was hard to take, finally being told that I was adopted. My whole world just came to a screeching halt with those words." 

The Doctor thought of his recent escapade and why his companion was no longer with him. He tightened his grip on Sienna. 

"I, being younger and foolish, went to try to meet my mom and dad. That was a huge mistake in itself." 

"What happened to you?" his fingers traced a long scar on her right shoulder. 

"Both of them I did meet, a year before I met, well, you," he smiled. "And they proceeded to verbally abuse me, they came at me with all kinds of weapons. That scar there was made by my father, digging a knife into me." 

The Doctor was glad he hadn't eaten yet. He felt nauseated, the back of his throat seemed to throb and his tongue wouldn't move. Sienna didn't notice, she had closed her eyes against the pain that came back to her with the memory. He got a grip on himself, then looked at his eighth incarnation's companion again. 

"Did you call the police or anything?" he mentally scolded himself for such a question, of course she would have! 

She snorted. "I did, but by the time I was taken into the ER and cleaned up, they were waiting for me. It turns out that my parents were long gone by the time they arrived on the scene. My injuries were photographed, so they'd have a case when my parents were apprehended." 

"What other injuries did you sustain?" 

"Pretty much that stab wound and a cracked rib where my mother hit me. I was out of it for some time because I had lost so much blood. Then when I got the news that they couldn't be found, I sank into a deep depression." 

Depression. That was pretty much where he was right now. The Doctor allowed himself to start crying noiselessly, still hearing Sienna's tale. 

"After lots of antidepressant medicine and psychotherapy later, I became, well, human again. I realized, Doctor, that this was a chance to overcome. I did. I took the chance to better myself, I became a stronger person. I took self defense and obtained my magnum guns where I trained for it. I vowed if I ever came across them again, I would be ready." 

****

"Did you come across them?" he managed to control his voice. 

"Once," she admitted. "I was looking at this TARDIS and wondering what it was doing near the back of my apartment building. My so called parents ambushed me there. I shot them both, but that didn't deter them. After thrashing my father, my mother pinned me to the TARDIS wall, putting a knife up to my throat. They called me every name you could think of, then it just stopped." 

"What do you mean?" 

"Time seemed to freeze for a moment, then the next thing I knew, I was waking up inside the TARDIS." she looked at him. 

"Oh. Well, the TARDIS took a liking to you then," he smiled through his tears. "She froze time where you would be attacked, then opened up the door so you would fall in. The old girl knocked you out so you would stay put until they were gone." 

"Then she's my savior. Well, she and you are. Doctor, what is distressing you? Surely my tale wouldn't have induced such grief in you?" 

"Apart from your American accent, I woud have thought you were British." he chortled. 

"Don't change the subject," she scolded him. "What's wrong?" 

The tenth Doctor's eyes rested on her necklace she was still wearing. The two roses with faux crystal in the centers of each of them. They glittered very brightly and he realized his tears were making them so bright. Head in his hands, he managed to tell Sienna the story of Rose and how she was separated from him forever.

"Poor girl. Those alternate realities generally don't exist very long." Sienna could have kicked herself for saying that. His head snapped up. 

"What?" 

"What, you didn't know? Alternate dimensions and realities only last for a year or two at the most, Doctor. They keep shifting and changing, that's what makes them alternate. My Doctor told me about it one sleepless night after we returned from Xylor 3." 

"So she really is dead, then." he leaned against her now, his arms still around her shoulders. Sienna wasn't expecting this, she fell faceup in the grass. He didn't notice, just letting all his grief out. She folded her arms around him, wishing she could erase pain and suffering from the entire galaxies the TARDIS went through daily. 

"It's all right, Doctor, just let it out. You'll feel better." she soothed him, running her fingers through his brown hair. He clung to her like his life depended on it, closing his fingers around her necklace pendant, saying her name over and over again. 

When he finally got a hold of himself again, he realized he was on top of Sienna. Blushing hard, he moved aside and pulled her up. Sienna smiled at him, taking the edge of her sarong and mopping his face. He in turn smiled his gratitude. 

"Much better. I can see it in you eyes, Doctor. You don't look so haunted by the experience now. You know what you have to do now?"

"What?" she put her arms around him this time. 

"Comfort yourself with the good memories of her. Don't dwell on her last moments, think of the good times. At least you have them," she touched her forehead to his. "You'll be all right, I know. But do you know you will be? You have to believe it." 

He sniffled, his eyes swimming afresh. Sienna put her hand under his chin and tilted his head so that he met her eyes. The Doctor looked into her eyes deeply, he saw her vivacity, her sense of adventure, but mostly he saw her determination. He felt comforted by that, knowing his eighth incarnation had a truly wonderful companion. The Doctor thought about Rose, then remembered in a flash that Sienna had said to remember the good times had. He did so, then a flicker of a smile crossed his lips as his eyes cleared. 

He was still holding the necklace pendant. Sienna watched as he disengaged himself from her. She had to smile as she saw him blush again. In him, it was very cute. Not saying a word, the Doctor reached up with his right hand, slowly drawing his fingers over her face, as if to delicately trace her features. He gave her a half smile as she put her hand over his. 

A faint sensation rippled through him, a sensation he realized, was pure love for her. The tenth Doctor felt himself becoming attracted to her, she was so strong and firm in her beliefs. Just like Rose was... 

No! He had to stop that train of thought. Sienna was right. Look towards the future and remember the good times with his companion. 

"Doctor?" he shook himself mentally. The Doctor had another desire, but he'd find time for it later. 

"Yes?" Sienna stood up and he jumped up to follow her. 

"I'm going swimming. Do you know how to?" 

"I already know how. Oh, my head." he grunted. Sienna put his head in her hands. 

"Take an ibuprofen and go to bed. You'll feel better after." 

"Aye aye, Sienna. You go ahead and have fun swimming. Maybe your Doctor will join you." 

"Doubt it. Anyway, I'll come and check on you when I'm done?" 

"Please do." their faces grew closer together until their lips touched. They opened up their eyes at the same time, Sienna smiled. 

"Um, you and your Doctor..." he began, unsure of how to ask her. 

"It's okay. We're not dating. All we do is exchange friendly kisses now and then. I'm going to get my exercise now. I'll check on you soon." 

"All right." he ran his right thumb over her bottom lip. It felt softer than it looked. He watched as Sienna went to the pool, took off her sarong, then secured her mask to her face. She stood on the diving board, then plunged into the water with a splash. 

In the medbay, the Doctor found the aspirin, took the prescribed dosage, then went into the bedroom. He kicked off his shoes then hung up his coat. The tenth Doctor got onto the bed, settling himself in while he thought of Rose.

No more nightmares of her death haunted him, he took Sienna's advice and then began to remember the good times. Closing his eyes, he last thought of the kiss he had shared with Sienna. 

****

The eighth Doctor had finally finished his book. Putting it down with a sigh, he began to get up and walk towards the garden. He passed by the tenth Doctor's room, then paused to see the Doctor lying on bed, asleep. Thinking nothing of it, he proceeded down to the pool, where he heard Sienna splashing around. 

The two talked together for an hour, then Sienna got up, showered, then got into fresh clothes. She wore her black jeans, her red camisole top, and her white Champion sneakers. Since the rose pendant seemed to bother the tenth Doctor so much, she changed it with a small gold colored sand dollar pendant necklace. 

Going into the music room, she began to play the piano, unearthing sheet music from one of her favorite Evanescence songs, Hello. 

"Playground school bell rings again  
Rain clouds come to play again  
Has no one told you she's not breathing?  
Hello, I'm your mind giving you  
Someone to talk to  
Hello

"If I smile and don't believe  
Soon I know I'll wake up from this dream  
Don't try to fix me I'm not broken  
Hello, I'm the lie living for you so you can't hide  
Don't cry

"Suddenly, I know I'm not sleeping  
Hello, I'm still here  
All that's left of yesterday." 

"Bravo, Sienna." her Doctor applauded her as she shut the shelf to the keys. Standing up, she gave a mock curtsey as he smiled at her. 

"So my voice hasn't deteriorated, then?" she giggled, checking her watch. The Doctor knew better than to answer that. He pushed Sienna's auburn hair back from her face, watching her. 

"Why is your hair still wet? You know I have this little device called a hairdryer." she playfully smacked him. 

"Don't get smartass with me, Doctor. Blowdrying is not good for my hair. I prefer to let it dry naturally, so it doesn't lose moisture too quickly." 

"Where are you off to?" 

"To check on the other Doctor. He had a bit of a breakdown because he lost someone. That's all I can say." she recognized the I'm-gonna-lecture-you look he was harboring. The Doctor swatted at her playfully as she exited the room. 

"Oh, I'm gonna have to get a lawyer now, that's harassment." she joked, going down the hall.

"I've got the galaxies on my side!" he shot back, pulling out his toolbox. 

Sienna laughed, then opened up the door to the tenth Doctor's room. It was black in there, with a silhouette of his figure on the bed, lying still. She moved over to him, observing that his eyes were still closed. Sienna drew back a few strands of hair from his face. He stirred a bit, uttering a small sigh. She closed her right hand over his, he seemed to cling to it gratefully. 

"Rose," he said quietly and opened his eyes. "Oh, Sienna." 

"Yes. How do you feel now?" 

He blinked for a moment, silently assessing his body and his emotions. 

"Tired, empty." 

"Normal, I'd say. Remember, you're half human." she teased him as he lay there, watching her. 

"I heard singing, Sienna. Was it you?" 

"Yes, that was me," she grinned uncertainly. "I do like to play and sing every now and then." 

"Where is your Doctor?" 

"He's doing some work on the TARDIS." 

"What time is it?" 

"Almost five. You've been asleep for about two hours now. I'll be surprised if you sleep much tonight." she added in a mock scolding tone. 

He did not rise to her invitation for banter. "Well, let's try to wear me out, eh? Do you know basketball?" 

"Do I?!" she enthused. "I used to be really good at it, Doctor. I was invited to try out for basketball in high school, but I had other commitments." 

"Really? Well, let's see if we all can get into one of those basketball games I'm sure you know." 

"Hmmm. We could play Pig or Horse." 

"On second thought, I'd like to hear more of your lovely voice. Would you mind?" he sat up to meet her eyes. Sienna grinned, a faint blush evident on her cheeks. 

"No. I have the sheet music to just about anything. What would you like to hear?" 

"That song you were singing earlier. What was it?" 

"Hello by Evanescence." 

"Would you mind?" they walked over to the music room. 

"Not at all, Doctor." she played the piano and sang the song to him. He sat down next to her on the bench, listening to her alto voice sing the lyrics beautifully. Her long fingers found the notes easily, and made piano playing seem effortless. Sienna knew the song so well, she closed her eyes and sang, not missing a note. 

"Hello, I'm still here. All that's left of yesterday." she finished the song, striking the last note and letting it fade. 

"That was wonderful, Sienna," the Doctor spoke. "Were you ever in choral class?" 

"Yes I was," she began to play a new tune. "I was the loudest alto and I can still carry a tune, it seems." 

Sienna flicked on the stereo, inserted a karaoke CD in, programmed it, then began to play along. The Doctor glanced at her sheet music. It was another Evanescence song called Call Me When You're Sober. 

" Don't cry to me  
If you love me  
You would be here with me  
You love me  
Come find me  
Make up your mind..." 

When she was done, the eighth Doctor poked his head in. 

"What's up, Doctor?" she asked, stopping the stereo. He looked over to her sheet music and asked her if there were any duets they could sing together. Sienna's eyes lit up, then she rifled through the music sheet rack. 

"This one is called Private Emotion by Ricky Martin. We could do that one." 

"Sure enough." they both sang the song. The Doctor had a lovely tenor voice that Sienna didn't know he possessed. She sang with him, her eyes shining with delight. The tenth Doctor felt a little left out, but he enjoyed hearing the fine voices that they both had. 

"It's a private emotion that fills you tonight  
And a silence falls between us  
As the shadows steal the light  
Wherever you may find it  
Wherever it may lead  
Let you private emotion come to me." 

At 9 that night, Sienna was dressing herself for bed. She threw on her black sport bra, and blue flannel pajama pants. A knock at her door, she walked up and opened it. The eighth Doctor was there and he bid her good night. 

"Good night, Doctor." she kissed him. 

A few moments later, a knock sounded and the tenth Doctor walked in. She turned from her desk, where she was reading over one of her books. He walked over to her with a gentle smile on his face. 

"Is something wrong, Doctor?" she asked hesitantly. 

"Would you come with me to my room?" he took her hand and gently pulled her up. 

"Uh, what for? Is my Doctor sleeping yet?" 

"He's fine. Come on." 

****

ADULT CONTENT WARNING

"So what do you want, Doctor?" Sienna watched as he shut the door to his room. 

The Doctor went over to her and immediately locked his lips with hers. He put both his hands under her jawline and deep kissed her. Sienna's eyes were closed, she returned the gesture with just as much feeling as he did. She knew he was lonely, but she had a vague feeling that he was attracted to her. She liked him, especially his brown eyes. 

He seemed to cling to her for a moment, trying to find comfort in her. Sienna put her arms around his back and hugged him tightly. The Doctor gently pushed her down on his bed, towering over her. 

Sienna struggled a little bit, pushing his face off of hers.

"What is it?" 

"I have to breathe, you know!" 

"Is that it?" his hands moved under her bra.

"One more thing." 

"Yes?" 

"I hope you're not picturing Rose in my place, Doctor. I'd have sufficient cause to knock your block off." 

Not very familiar with American slang, the Doctor was smart enough to know that if he was indeed picturing Rose in Sienna's place, she'd beat him up. 

"Sienna, you told me to remember her fondly, and I do. I also realized that I have a strong love for you and I want to express it. You remind me of her in all the good ways, but you're an American, and you're very unique. This is not a desperate thing, Sienna." 

Her hard gaze softened up. "If you are certain that you want me and not thinking of Rose, then go on ahead." 

"Very well," he proceeded to neck her, then fumbled a little bit, trying to take her bra off. "Can I hear more of that wonderful voice of yours?"

"The sexy version?" she teased. He bit her neck playfully, making her jump a bit. Sienna pulled his blazer off, then pulled at his tie, loosening the knot and tugging it off. 

"I'm telling you loosen up my buttons baby  
But you keep fronting  
Saying what you going to do to me  
But I ain't seen nothing." Sienna giggled as he finally managed to get her bra off. 

"Oh, I think I'm gonna do much to you." he breathed as she undid his shirt and took it off of him. 

"Oh, really? Show me." her eyes looked into his, he could see her devilish gleam. The Doctor ran his hands down her sides, admiring her curves. He hoisted her back onto the bed, getting on top of her without preamble. She had been gradually sliding off the bed because her legs were not on it, his weight was not helping. 

"Oh, you'll see it all right." he grinned as Sienna undid his fly. The Doctor pulled her pants off, then threw them across the room. 

"It's not your first, I don't think," he remembered. "I'll try not to hurt you." 

"I know." she told him, her eyes half closed. 

" But wait a minute. I remember you like to be aggressive. Maybe we'll do that another time. Just let me take over." 

"Yes," she breathed. "I won't complain." 

After a few more minutes of foreplay, Sienna was wondering if he'd ever move past that point, when a sudden movement jerked her back to reality. She recoiled, crying out in surprise. The Doctor immediately shushed her, looking concerned. 

"Are you all right?" he asked, both of them were sweating and panting from their efforts. Sienna nodded, her panting seemed louder to her as the room was eerily quiet. 

"Uh...." she hedged, her eyes squinched shut with a sudden burst of pain. 

"Sienna? If this hurts you, I'll stop!" he said vehemently. 

"No, it doesn't hurt," she quickly answered. "Keep going." 

With another concerned look at her, the tenth Doctor worked up a slow pace, then crescendoed into a faster one until he felt like he might explode. Sienna moved with him, finding it made her hurt less. 

When they were done, they crawled into the covers of the bed, panting. The Doctor looked at Sienna, she was looking a little too pale for his liking. 

"Sienna, really, are you all right? You don't look well." 

"I'm fine, Doctor. I'm just not used to that sort of activity, that's all." 

"If you're sure about that, then." Sienna knew it was time to change the subject, but she couldn't think of anything.

"I think we'll be more used to it sometime.. Sienna?" he looked at her.

She didn't respond. He turned her face towards his and realized she was asleep. With a small chuckle, he cuddled her up to him and fell asleep also.


	6. From the eighth to the tenth Doctor

Transition

10th Doctor, Sienna, K9

H/C/Drabble

The 8th Doctor looked at the command console in the console room. A message from Romana blinked COME HOME IMMEDIATELY. NO HUMANS.

He sighed, wondering how to tell Sienna. She was talking with the tenth Doctor in his room. She had been spending a lot of time with him lately, he remembered. They both had strolled around the TARDIS while they were going back to Xylor 3 for him to retrieve his own TARDIS. 

"Sienna, can I talk to you?" he called out, hoping that she'd understand.

A few moments later, she was sitting in the console room while he went over the message from Romana to her. He watched her expression carefully, but she had carefully assumed a poker face. 

"We are set to arrive on Xylor 3 within a few hours. If you don't want to give up your travels, you can go with the future me. He seems to have taken quite a shine to you." 

She grinned. "Yeah, I guess I could do that, Doctor. I know he is you, but your personalities are different." 

"So will you?" he asked.

"If he'll have me, I would like to go with him." 

"Good." she clasped hands with him and gave him a smile. 

"I'm glad. By the way, I have a little present for you that I'll give my future self." he produced a large plywood box with Mark V on it.

"Okay. I'll be sad to leave you, Doctor. We've shared a couple of great adventures." 

"And I you," he smiled at her fondly. " I think you'll find my future self quite envigorating." 

"When will you go?" 

"Soon as we land, Sienna. Go get your things and talk to your new Doctor." 

"All right." she jumped up and began to pack her things. The eighth Doctor looked at the planetarium above the console and sighed. Gallifrey was looking dimmer by the minute, he wondered what was going on there.

****

"Doctor!" Sienna saw the tall brown eyed man standing outside her bedroom, poised to knock. 

"You must be to some degree psychic, Sienna!" he said with a startled laugh.

"Please come in," she explained the 8th Doctor's cryptic missive from Romana and looked at the tenth self, concerned. "I don't want to go back to my old life, Doctor. I'll go with you, if you'll have me." 

He eyed her up and down and gave her a grin. " I would like nothing better!" 

"Yay!" she leaped up and wrapped her arms around the Doctor. After a moment, she strapped on her backpack, hung her duffel by her side, then looked at him. "I'm all ready. We should be landing now." 

Sure enough, the TARDIS wheezed to a stop. She smiled. "Guess I finally got my timing down pat." the Doctor laughed and offered her his arm. 

"You won't be replacing Rose." 

"Of course not, Doctor. If I had no self confidence, then I'd imitate other people. I'm me, like it or no." she proclaimed with a bold toss of her head. Her combat gear tucked away in her duffel, she knew the TARDIS would have similar things in it. They both marched out to the console room where the eighth Doctor greeted them.

"I parked this one right next to yours, Doctor." 

"Thank you, Doctor. For bringing me back here." 

Sienna looked into the Doctor's blue eyes. "Thank you Doctor, for everything. You showed me what it was like to be cared for and loved." 

He looked into her brown eyes. The tenth Doctor had unlocked his TARDIS and was waiting for Sienna to board it. He politely stood by at a discreet distance, giving them privacy.

"The same right back at you, Sienna," he spoke. "You leave me now with a more open mind as to the paranormal. Also, I'll never forget what it was like, traveling with a loud American lady like you." he kissed her hand and she pecked him on the face grandly.

"I'll always love you." 

"And I you, Sienna." he shut the TARDIS and it left. Sienna turned to the tenth Doctor, feeling a little abandoned at that moment. He understood and gestured into the doors. She went, he followed her. She let out a low whistle as she looked at the TARDIS.

"Wow! Redecoration, Doctor! Did the TARDIS upgrade herself?" 

He smiled, striding to the console. "Yes she did, Sienna. You know," he looked over at her. "I never did catch your last name." 

"Blackman. Sienna Blackman, Doctor." 

"Charmed," he grinned. "Sienna Blackman, welcome to my TARDIS. Your previous Doctor left you a gift," he gestured to the same crate she had seen before. "Shall we?" 

"I don't see why not." they marched over as Sienna saw the lock on the crate. She pulled out her gun to blow it off, but the Doctor stopped her.

"I have just the tool for this," he pulled out his sonic screwdriver. Aiming, the tip glowed blue, then the lock popped open. "Handy little weapon, this gadget here." he grinned. 

"So let's find out what he left me, eh?" she pulled out a sheet of paper and read it. 

"Dear Sienna, I found this in my storage space on the TARDIS. After I left Gallifrey the last time, Romana had stowed it on board for me. During a long transit time to another planet, I fully revitalized and upgraded it. I remember how fond you were of animals, you had spoken to me of your adventures with them as a child, so I hope you like it. Love always, the 8th Doctor." 

"Well, let's get on with it." she opened up the crate and there stood a metal and fiberglass mix that formed a little dog. The ears were little bits of material in a crisscross weave design. On the side was K9. 

"Well well well!" the Doctor exclaimed. "A new version of K9! I'll be sworn!" 

"Wow!" Sienna breathed. "We don't have to neuter it, walk it, feed it, etc. This is the best!" she looked on the back of the metal dog, admiring his shiny gray paint, his tail was a black rod with a little knob on the tip. 

It was the very model of K9 that the Doctor had always known. The 8th Doctor had put Mark V to symbolize the complete upgrade the metal dog had recieved. 

"Which do I press to turn him on?" she asked. The Doctor showed her what to do and K9 came to life. 

"Master." he chirped. 

"Good to see you, K9!" he exclaimed. "Meet your..co master. In fact, you were given as a gift to her." 

The robot dog got out of the crate and the red visor flashed. Sienna watched, a little startled by the dog's moving around so easily. K9 stopped at her feet and looked up at her. 

"Mistress." the toneless robotic voice said. 

The Doctor waved at her, she got the message. Kneeling down, she touched the dog's slick metal face, admiring him. 

"Very good, K9. I can already see you're quite a loyal companion." 

"Affirmative." she giggled. 

"Go on then," the Doctor coaxed. "Are you hungry, love?" 

She looked up at him, barely able to take her eyes off the wonderful metal dog what was now their companion. "A wee bit, I suppose." 

"Off with you, then. I'll set the coordinates for a place you want to go. Where would it be?" 

"Uh..." she pondered for a moment. "I want to go back in time to see something, I can't really remember at the moment." 

"Take your time. K9, you can go anywhere you want, old friend!" the robot dog acknowledged this, then began going nowhere in particular. Sienna leaned against the wall nearest the Doctor and began to think about her favorite time periods in history. 

"What are you thinking, Sienna?" he bluntly asked, shifting the controls. 

"Of my books, mostly, Doctor. I know you guys can't interfere with history, but wouldn't you be tempted? I mean, all the wars and political turmoil, wouldn't you be tempted to go back and fix it?" 

She flopped onto the seat, looking up at him. He joined her, his eyes looking very inquisitively at hers. He joined their hands together, giving her a serene grin.

"It's very tempting, yes. But, we can go to any time period in history and not interfere unless it's otherwordly, like aliens coming around." 

"In that case, I know just where I want to go, Doctor." 

"Where?" 

"September 15, 1907. The maiden voyage of-"

"Not the Titanic! My ninth self went there." 

"No, Doctor! My favorite ocean grayhound, the Lusitania. I've always dreamed of being on her decks, rubbernecking with the rich and famous, all that. It would be so wonderful to board her in Liverpool and go to New York on her."

His eyes lit up. "Well, I'll have to research a little more, find out where the dock is, I think they had Liverpool then switched it to Southampton, find the actual date. Actually, the TARDIS can do that." he began to plug in various coordinates, the date, time, and location popped up on the flatscreen. Sienna watched, noticing that the tenth Doctor was a little more childlike than his predecessors. He seemed to exude manic energy at times, he had good taste in suits, he wore glasses to see close up, and he wore canvas sneakers. Sometimes the red pair, often the white ones. 

Sienna, in her blue jeans and black cami top with white and purple Champion sneakers, got up and went to the kitchen, browsing around. Her favorite earrings, her little silver colored G clef with the tiny rhinestones in them, glittered and danced as she moved about. Her necklace, a black and blue design braided on hemp that she made herself, was gathered at the back with a safety pin. It looked like a choker, but she'd made it loose enough so that it wasn't.

"Mistress?" K9 questioned, turning into the room. She pulled a water bottle out of the fridge and drank a bit. Putting the bottle down, she looked at the dog.

"What is it, K9?" 

"You appear sad." the red light flashed on and off as K9 inclined his head. She sat down on the floor outside the kitchen and looked at the dog.

"You have that dog sense, K9. Dogs usually know when their owners are in a mood." 

"Your stress levels are up ten percent. You are hiding something." 

****

"So I am, K9. So I am. I know the 8th Doctor is the tenth Doctor. They're all one person with different bodies." 

"Affirmative. Regeneration process." 

"You're so smart." she touched his head. "I don't know why it bothers me, K9. They're all the same, and yet, they're not. The personalities are different, I'm already missing the eighth Doctor." 

K9 couldn't say anything about that, so he went closer to Sienna, nudginig his nose under her arm like a dog would. She smiled sadly, looking at his visor as the red light flashed. 

"I think it brings up separation issues that I have." 

"Humans need each other. They do not like to be alone." the metal dog trumpeted in the same monotone. 

"Exactly. I bet the Doctor gets the same way since he lost Rose." 

"The Doctor is half human." 

"True. Hey K9, how come you can pinpoint the Doctor when he's in a new body?"

"My sensors detect two hearts." 

"Ah, that ends the mystery. I will go to my room now, K9. Thanks." she stood up and went to her room. The metal dog followed her and heard Sienna start to cry. K9 was a smart dog and he knew human nature very well. He decided if she didn't come out soon, he'd alert his master to get her. 

Twenty minutes later, the metal dog produced the laser from his nose, then moved back and forth, tapping onto the door. Sienna looked out, the dog could see a tear streaming from the eye that was looking at him through the crack. 

"You must come out." 

"Not now, please, K9? I just need some time." she shut the door and the metal dog turned away. It wouldn't do for him to know that Sienna was in misery and have his master ignorant of that fact. He would let the Doctor know and then the Doctor would help her. K9 understood very well that as a robot dog, he could only do so much. 

The Doctor looked at their destination, 1907 England. They would get there in two days' time. He settled onto the couch adjacent to the open console room and closed his eyes, daydreaming. 

Four wheels came rolling up to him and stopped. "Master." he opened up his eyes. K9 stood there, waiting for him to respond. 

"What is it, K9?" 

"Mistress is sad." 

"Sad? Well, she'll be a little sad because she said goodbye to my former self." 

"She is crying." the Doctor sat up and looked at the dog. 

"When?" 

"Twenty minutes ago." 

"I better go and check on her." 

"Affirmative." the dog followed his master to the door, then parked himself across the hall, watching with his red flashing visor. 

****

"Sienna?" her room was completely dark. Unlike the room on the previous TARDIS, this one had an elegant canopy bed in a dark blue paisely design. He advanced, seeing her still form on the bed. Her shoes were kicked off, her earrings on the nightstand. The Doctor sat down on the edge, she was lying facedown. 

Taking his left hand, he cautiously put two fingers on the pulse in her neck. It was strong and steady, just like Sienna herself. 

"Sienna?" he whispered, looking at her. In the very dim light from the doorway, he saw her eyelids were closed. The Doctor pulled her body towards him, observing that her face was tearstained, so he got a wet rag and mopped her face. He dried her face off, then put her into a more comfortable position. Sienna lay with her head against the pillow, asleep and totally relaxed. 

The Doctor leaned over and pulled her bathrobe out from the duffel bag. He draped it over her, up to her elbows. 

"We arrive in two days' time, Sienna," he told her body. "Rest up while you can." the Doctor stayed with her for a few moments before getting up and seeing the robot dog with the omniscent stare. 

"K9, tell me when she wakes up." he went back to the console. 

"Affirmative, Master." K9 rolled into Sienna's room, parking facing the bed. 

Two hours later, Sienna began to stir, then slowly woke up. She sat up, realizing that she was lying on the bed faceup, her bathrobe had been put over her. After a moment, she realized that the Doctor had been in. 

"Oh, K9!" she jumped. "Sorry, I didn't see you there." 

"You have awakened." it said redundantly. 

"You're a smart one." she headed out for the gardens, leaving the robot to watch her from a distance. 

The Doctor watched K9 appear from his perch in the chairs beside the console. The new version was very quiet, rolling around with hardly a sound. His predecessor had taken great care of his old friend, it was a labor of love indeed. K9 had never looked better, even when he was brand new. 

"I take it she's awake now?" 

"Affirmative." 

"Thank you, K9. Where is she?" 

"The gardens." 

"Again, thanks." the Doctor jumped up, then went into the gardens where he found Sienna. She was lying in the grass, enjoying the view and butterflies flying around. 

"Hey there, Ms. Blackman." he settled down next to her. Sienna propped herself up on her elbows and smiled at him. Lying there together for a few minutes, she almost hated to break the peacefulness and serene feeling between them. 

"I guess K9 told you I was here?" 

"Yep." 

"And he told you I was in emotional distress?"

"In a way, yes. What was it about?" 

"Well, I have separation issues, Doctor. You know about my past, how my real parents abandoned me." 

"Did leaving to come with me kind of feel like my eighth self was abandoning you?" 

"Yeah. I wish I knew why he was summoned home." he stirred uneasily.

"I can tell you. If we come across any of my past incarnations, you must not tell them." 

"I know the game now, Doctor. You can tell me." 

"Your Doctor has gone home to defend his home planet Gallifrey from an evil force. It was become known as the Time War and it raged on for years at least. My eighth self managed to trap all but one of them and eradicate them. In fact, my eighth self died just after the fact, he was wounded very badly. He didn't think he would make it, but he regenerated into the ninth incarnation." 

"Wow," Sienna looked at him. "And this Rose came in after that? Like trying to soothe his shattered soul after all the shit storm he'd seen?"

"Language," he reminded her. "She was like that, yeah. My ninth self died because Rose had managed to absorb a time vortex. It was too much for a human, so I kissed her, taking the power away from her and rechanneled it into the TARDIS. The damage was done, every cell in my ninth form broke down and I regenerated into this." 

"Your new body must have been traumatized by it." Sienna allowed him to take her hand. 

"I was still regenerating when we reached earth. I spent much of the alien invasion laid up in bed. My body needed lots of sleep to heal properly. Wouldn't you know it, but tea was all I needed to heal!" 

"I can't stand tea. What about an alien invasion?" 

"You didn't hear?" he looked at her, wide eyed. 

"I'm an American, Doctor," she reminded him. "If there's any true existence of alien life forms out there-which I know to be true now-, our government will cover it up. You ever heard of Roswell? Area 51?" 

"Yes, unfortunately," he frowned. "Some high power Americans can be so..." 

"Afraid?" she supplied. "Afraid of what's out there, Doctor. Anything they don't know about they cover it up. But anyway, look at what they're missing out on. How many humans can say they've been on something like this? A lovely British man, a robot dog, a mind link with a great spaceship.... I've never been more happy, truly." 

"That's the best news I've heard all day, Sienna." he rubbed the back of her hand. 

"Well then... do you swim?" he laughed. 

"It is your favorite past time, I remember! I haven't been swimming in years." 

"Well, I'll teach you. Follow me." they went to get changed. K9 obediently trailed after them. 

****

In her pink and black tankini, Sienna jumped into the pool and surfaced, grinning. The Doctor, in his trunks and t-shirt, got into the shallow end and watched as his new companion adjusted her mask, dived down, then came up just inches from him. 

"How do you do that?" she laughed. 

"You'll remember, Doctor. You can't breathe underwater, so hold your breath, go down into it, then move your arms and legs like I did. You'll see." 

He did as he was told, Sienna watched as he managed to maneuver himself to the ladder at one side of the pool. She ducked down underwater, found the very deep end, then hid herself there for about thirty seconds. When she was sure he was wondering where she was, she sneakily grabbed his ankle and jerked him down. 

"Whoa!" he ducked down and saw her, grinning devilishly. The Doctor brought her up to the surface and pretended to give her a noogie, laughing as she tried to get away. 

"The other Doctor would never go into the pool with me. Didn't want to be far away from his heather green coat." she remarked, doing the backstroke. The Doctor imitated her, watching to see how she swam. 

"He was too self conscious. Anyway, I think you swim wonderfully." 

"Why thank you, Doctor." Sienna turned over and swam behind him, pulling him back to the shallow end. 

Half an hour later, they were dressed and sitting beside the TARDIS console. The Doctor put his legs up, resting them on the edge of the console like he always did. Sienna giggled, then put her legs on top of his, giving him a playful stare. 

"Are you challenging me?" he immediately inquired. She gave a twitch of her eyebrow and looked at him again, a smirk on her lips. 

"What do you think, hmm?" he put his arms around her legs and tried to push them off, but she was strong. Sienna managed to lock her legs around his waist and give him another devilish grin. 

"I'm British, my voice might go up a few notches." he joked. 

"What time is it?" she looked at the TARDIS's clock on the console. 

"Past my bedtime," she rubbed her eyes. "By the way, it was you who put my robe over me when I was asleep before, I'm sure." 

"What about it?" he eyed her, looking innocent. Sienna stood up and watched him for another long moment, the brown eyes seemed to speak volumes that she wanted to know so badly. 

Leaning over, she kissed him on the lips, closing her eyes as he did the same. He reached out with his arms, drawing her closer to him as she put her arms around him. Sienna dared to run her fingers through his thick hair, it was clean and almost like silk to her touch. He did the same to her, admiring the fact that her hair was very wavy and red. Her red hair dye was wearing out, but he didn't care. 

"I do have to breathe, you know." she said, pulling away. 

"Right. You're human, I forget." 

"You've such nice lovely brown hair, Doctor." 

"After my regeneration, I was a bit disappointed. I wanted to be ginger." 

"You mean red? Like me?" she flicked her red hair with a finger, the light arced through it and made the red visible. 

"Yes, that's it." 

"Well, I can make that little wish come true, Doctor." 

"How?" 

"This TARDIS has a salon room. I found every kind of beauty product imaginable." 

"So?" she made a small noise in exasperation and moved behind him, massaging his shoulders. He closed his eyes in appreciation, happy by the fact that she did not have long nails, so it didn't hurt him.

"And I thought I was being clear. All I have to do is dye your hair red-or ginger, as you call it." 

"You can do that?" 

"Did it on myself, Doctor," she assured him. " It's totally safe." 

"I'll consider it." 

"Okay. Bedtime. Are you coming, Doctor? I don't want you passing out." 

"Oh, all right. Think we can share a bed without it getting all...."

"Hands on?" she supplied. " Of course. Come on, Doctor." 

"Yes ma'am." he allowed her to pull him up and go into his master bedroom. It was a canopy bed as well, this time with light red damask curtains all around it. 

"This is so nice." she went and changed, then came back, in a light blue sport bra and her blue pajama pants.

The Doctor had on the white pajamas with the light stripes Jackie had given to him so long ago. He got into bed, watching as K9 rolled to the crate that he had arrived in, situating himself in it like it was his doghouse. The robot dog's head drooped a little bit, indicating that he was now on 'sleep mode'. 

"Well well, Doctor, it seems K9 went to bed. Why don't we do the same?" Sienna crawled into bed, getting herself comfortable. The Doctor obeyed her, letting her snuggle up to him as he drew the curtains closed. 

"Who will get us up tomorrow, what do you want to bet? K9 or the TARDIS?" 

"You'll probably get me up, like you usually did, Doctor," Sienna retorted. "Somehow it almost never failed." 

He sniggered. "I had my reasons, Sienna. You are-well, can be-lazy." 

"Thanks for the can be, Doctor. Now I have carte blanche. Don't expect me to sleep much tonight. It's a new TARDIS, so to speak." 

****

Twenty minutes later, the Doctor was flat out of it, asleep. Sienna was lying there, looking at the ceiling. There were glow in the dark stars pasted to the ceiling of the bed canopy, she stared at them idly. 

"I think I know what I need." she got up out of bed and began to head down the hall. K9's motion sensors alerted the dog to her movement, then followed her discreetly until she turned suddenly and saw him.

"It's OK, K9. I just need a little peace, that's all. Stay here with the Doctor, OK?" 

"Affirmative." she smiled and went down the hall to the zero room. 

"Ah, the zero room," she spied the cot in the corner. "The peacefulness this room emanates is really something. Let's see if I can benefit from it tonight." 

Sienna plunked down on the cot, closing her eyes and quieting the riot that was her mind as the room's peaceful quiet lulled her to sleep. 

The next day, the Doctor woke up, then at once noticed that Sienna was gone. He jumped out of bed, throwing on his robe-another present from Jackie-then stopped in front of K9's impromptu dog house. The metal dog was there, his red light flashed behind the visor that were his eyes. 

"K9, where is Sienna? Did she go back to her room?" 

"Negative, Master. Mistress has gone to the zero room." 

The Doctor's eyebrows narrowed in confusion. "That's odd, why would she head there, of all places?" 

"Mistress said she needed a little peace." the dog trilled. 

The brows straightened up as the Doctor stood. "Ah, that makes sense, then!" he went down to the zero room and saw her, lying asleep on a bed. He picked her up, brought her back to the his bedroom, then got ready for the day.


	7. the Lusitania and the Ood

Aboard the Lusitania

K9/10th Doctor/Sienna/Ood

Action/Adventure

A/N: I know nothing about the Lusitania's maiden voyage, so I'm using artistic license here. 

"We're here!" the Doctor announced as the TARDIS landed. "Sienna?" he asked, stepping into the hallway near the racks of clothes.

"Oof!" she complained. "How the friggin' hell-"

"Watch it." he warned.

"Doctor, it's amazing women didn't massacre guys who invented skirts or dresses! I'd love to see you get into a dress like this and not swear. Corsets are an abomination." Sienna emerged from what she called the clothes cave on the TARDIS. She was wearing a dark purple dress, old fashioned shoes with a small heel on them. Sienna was doing her best to accessorize, so she added a purple necklace with matching earrings. 

"So I've heard," he said dryly. "Do you need help?" 

"Think I've about got it," she admitted, checking herself in the mirror. "Thankfully there's an adjustable bustle at the back here. One of the things my friends said back home was that I could always wear a low cut shirt and I'd never show too much. I'm small up front, so to speak." 

It was a simple purple dress, tight fitted bodice with three rows of black braiding around the cuffs, hemline, and neck. The Doctor admired her for a moment, then looked at her auburn hair for a moment. 

"Women in that age had long hair, Sienna." she turned around, putting on the purple gloves she had tucked under her arm. 

"Oh no. I am not wearing a wig!" she shook her finger at him.

"No, I think we'll pass. I don't want to wrestle you down and have to put it on you." 

"You on the other hand, Doctor," she went up to him. "Don't have to change at all. Really, you are dressed for any occasion or even timeline." 

He produced a small satchel from the rack, looked in it, then closed it with a nod of approval. Sienna took his arm and he guided her back to the console room, helping her out when she stumbled in the shoes. 

"Why didn't women's dress reform come earlier?" she groused. 

"It was a miracle it got through at all. You know how pigheaded your American male government gets, Sienna." he opened up the TARDIS doors. 

"Oh, are we on the ship itself?" Sienna saw cargo bay storage, draped with stout cargo nets everywhere. 

"Yes. It is the night before the voyage. We have enough time to sneak out, then come back with our tickets tomorrow morning. Shall we?" 

"Charmed, Doctor."

With K9 to guard the TARDIS, they first locked it up, threw a heavy canvas over it, then wrapped it up in a spare cargo net. They navigated their way up to the top deck, made sure nobody was looking, then left the ship. Both of them walked until they saw an inn a little distance away from the Lusitania. The Doctor rented out a room for them, then made sure of the depart time for the ship. 

"Eleven o'clock sharp, Sienna," he announced, going up the stairs with her to the room. "I got us second class tickets, we'll be comfortable enough. What do you think so far?" 

"Dress complaints aside, Doctor, I think it's lovely. Nobody else gets to live out a dream like this." she went to the window and looked at the majestic ocean grayhound. The Doctor joined her there, looking to the left. 

"That another ship?" 

"Yes, across the harbor there. That's the sister ship, the Mauretania. Her sea trial tests go a little longer than her younger sister." 

"You seem to be an aficionado of these two ships, Sienna. I know what will happen to the Lusitania, but what of the Mauretania? Was she cut down in her prime as well?" 

"Nope. She had a long service to the Cunard line, Doctor. Passenger ship, wartime service, converted to oil, then she spent a whole year in dock while they debated over her fate. She was auctioned off and sold for scrap metal. Now in our time, we have the Queen Mary who's in drydock forever." Sienna's tone grew a little sad. 

His eyes looked at her form searchingly, silhouetted by the streetlamp outside. The Doctor put his arm on her shoulder and asked her why she was sad all of a sudden. Sienna shrugged, but his hand did not move from her shoulder. 

"It does get a little emotional, Doctor, looking at this great ship and knowing what will become of her in about 8 years' time." her eyelids sagged. 

"Time for a little rest, eh?" 

"No. We have a few hours before daylight, Doctor. I'll sleep off my time lag on board. I'm so excited!" she grinned. 

"All right, but we have to at least lie down." he got onto the bed, motioning for her to join him. Sienna did so, being careful of her skirts. 

"How on earth do you women dress yourselves anyway?" she finished pulling down the skirts, positioning herself comfortably.

"Under and over petticoats, a polonaise, the bustle that makes my ass look huge, then finally the dress. Oh, I put a corset on somewhere in there. I can hardly draw a deep breath." 

"The things you and I will do for fashion," he giggled. " I'm equal to any occasion. In this time, you are too." 

"Gee, thanks. You'll have to be the one to rub my sore feet when the journey is over." 

"Anytime." the cheeky grin appeared again as Sienna watched the sun come up over the eastern edge of the sky. 

"Look, Doctor. It's gorgeous." 

He looked, seeing the light stretch out, and the grin appeared. "Well well, what a beautiful sight! In two hours, the line will be going up at the Cunard pier to board the ship. We'll be close to first now, won't we?" 

"That's right, Doctor." she cozied up with him, he kissed the top of her head. 

****

"Welcome to the Lusitania, Mr. and Mrs. Smith." the second officer took their tickets with a smile and courteous nod. 

"Thank you, sir," Sienna took the Doctor's arm as he took her to their suite. "Posing as a married couple? Us? You're too weird sometimes, Doctor." 

"Look at that view, Sienna," they paused on the lower promenade deck. "The ocean, it's a wonderful place to be. I don't know why, but it's like I feel..."

"Spiritual?" she supplied. "It does that to me too, Doctor. It does feel very spiritually cleansing. I like it, that's why I do pay the occasional visits to the ocean every so often." 

"I forgot to ask, you don't get seasickness, do you?" 

"Nope," she said cheerfully. "I've boated all my life and never had a bit of it. All I can say is that the time lag is catching up to me. You remember last time, with the anarchists? When will I become immune to the effects?" they turned from the rail and walked into their cabin. 

"It'll take a few more trips, but the effects are lessening already. I remember it came onto you so fast last time." he sat her down on the bed, looking into her eyes and checking her pulse. Sienna looked while he listened to her heart, the room was much like the ones she'd seen in pictures of the Titanic's interiors. 

Bed with white painted headboard, space heater right beside it, a few chairs and small couch, the loo in the next small room, a chest of drawers beside the wash table and mirror. The walls were white, a small closet was in the corner. Sienna knew the top shelf would contain 'life belts', known to her as life jackets. They were lightweight sailing gray canvas packed thickly with cork, which would expand when it got wet. 

"Sienna? It's time for lunch. Do you want to go now?" 

Sienna began to see flashing neon lights in her vision now. She had them once before, when she was overtired. The Doctor looked at her and saw her eyes had become red rimmed and small hollows at the corners of her eyes were becoming more obvious. 

"No, not now, thanks. I'm overtired right now and I think a siesta would help me greatly." 

"All right. I'll come and get you in two hours. I don't want you up all night!" he smiled and left the room. 

Sienna pulled off her shoes, tossed them in the corner, then changed into a nightshirt. Spreading her robe over her, she fell deeply asleep. 

Hours later, the Doctor had such a good time talking with other passengers, he lost track of the time. It was past nine PM when he finally returned to the cabin and saw Sienna still asleep on the bed. The Doctor grinned, pecking her on the cheek and stretching out on the couch. It was small, but adequate for him. The faint noise of the reciprocating engines and slight vibrations he felt helped him get to sleep faster. 

A noise woke him. He couldn't quite place it at first, but then it grew. Some sort of dull thumping sound. The Doctor cracked open his eyes and saw Sienna standing there, eyes open, but clearly not alert. Startled, he got up from the couch and watched her as she began to walk towards the door. 

"Whoa, Sienna." he got in front of her. The Doctor aimed the sonic screwdriver's blue light into her eyes, which clarified that she was not awake. He picked up her hand and gently guided her back to the room. 

She came along willingly, automatically getting back into bed and closing her eyes. He wondered if she was prone to sleepwalking, but none of his memories alluded to it. She never had until now, and now he wondered why. 

Remembering his mind reading abilities, he leaned over Sienna's form on the bed, then latched his hands at the sides of her head. The Doctor did not see any reason for her to suddenly get up and start sleepwalking, so he took his hands away. Getting on the other side of the bed so he could sleep, he changed and got into the covers. 

On the other hand, she was suffering from time lag and she was exhausted already. But it was a new place, some people were not able to sleep in a new place on the first night. 

Yes, that must be it, he decided. Her sleep pattern was interrupted by a new place and it was hard to adjust and sleep the first night in any new place. The Doctor, feeling comforted by the fact, fell asleep. 

The next day, he got up, did his routine, then watched as Sienna began to wake up slowly. She sat up, blinking the fuzziness out of her eyes. The Doctor saw her stretch her arms up, then stand, pulling out the purple dress she had worn the day before. 

"Oh, Doctor," she jumped when she noticed he was watching her. "I feel much better, thank you. How long have I been asleep?" 

"About 18 hours now. You were really exhausted." he looked at her critically, walking over to her as she scrubbed her face and brushed her hair. 

"Is something up? I mean, I feel fine now." she gave him a look. 

"Do you remember anything of what happened to you last night? Anything at all? Any strange dreams?" he persisted, turning her gently to face him. 

"No. Why? Something happen to me?" 

"Have you ever been told that you sleepwalk?" he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at her, the buzzing and blue light filled her eyes and ears. 

"Not to my knowledge, Doctor. Did I sleepwalk last night?" 

"You did." he looked into her eyes very deeply, ascertaining the fact that she was fully awake and alert. 

"Odd. I've never sleepwalked, not in any old or new place. Now I feel unsettled, like my subconscious says something is amiss." she pushed her hair back away from her face as he sat next to her. 

"Anyway, it's time for breakfast. Are you hungry? You must be!" he hugged her shoulders and she smiled. 

"If I don't take so long to get dressed, yeah!" 

"Do you want help with it?" she gave him a look. " What? I did sign us on this voyage, everyone does think we're married!" 

"Oh, fine!" she undid her nightshirt. Sienna had on matching blue underpants and bra. 

"Still the 2000 era underthings, eh?" 

"Underthings in this time are so freakin' itchy!" she laughed, taking the under petticoats, putting them on, then put on the over ones. The bustle she tossed aside, saying if she were to wear it again, she'd set it on fire. The corset came next, she had the Doctor tighten and tie it up for her. Sienna put on the polonaise, which was an undershirt with sleeves, made out of starched white cotton. The dress went on then, he buttoned her up, then she sat down to put on the hated shoes. 

"Still, I wonder what may happen tonight. It'll take about three or four days to get to New York." 

"You know, we should introduce ourselves as investigative reporters, Doctor. Interrogate whether people have been sleepwalking when they never have before." 

"Good idea, Sienna." he looked at her, pleased. 

"After breakfast, okay? And I want a little time to explore the promenade and really commit this to my memory." 

"All right then." he grinned at her. 

****

After a good breakfast, Sienna and the Doctor were walking on the promenade decks when they heard the Master-at-Arms talking to a passenger. 

"My lovely little one, Lizzie, went missing last night, sir!" a blonde haired round and dumpy lady was saying. "She was there one moment and gone the next." 

"Pardon me, madame," the Doctor interrupted. "But by any chance, did she sleepwalk right out the door last night?" 

"Yes! One moment later, she was gone!" the frantic lady said. 

"Interesting," he mused. "My wife and I, we're reporters and we were assigned here to look into this. Are there more people missing?" 

"Approximately ten missing, sir." the Master-at-Arms told him. 

"Huh. Well, let us talk to the other passengers and see what's up. My wife here will look around the decks for anything out of the ordinary." Sienna nodded to them and separated herself, walking off down the promenade deck with a hurried gait. She rounded the bend and disappeared, knowing the Doctor meant for her to enter the TARDIS and ask K9 whether the sensors picked up anything.

Once she'd reached the lower decks, Sienna noticed an opaque gel with a shade of orange haphazardly dripping off of the doorframe. Making a face, she pulled out a tissue and pulled off the sticky gob, knowing that K9 could analyze it. 

Pulling out the TARDIS key, she unlocked it and stepped inside. K9's ears moved back and forth as his visor flashed, rolling forward to greet her. 

"Hi, K9. I need you to analyze this for me." she smeared it on his sensor and his computer 'guts' churned as he processed it. 

"Inconclusive." he chirped. Sienna's face fell. The robot dog nudged her hand with his nose. 

"Any activity the sensors might have picked up?" 

"Negative, mistress. All has been quiet." she stroked his metal face. 

"All I can say K9, is that people have been sleepwalking and suddenly disappear. I'll go report this to the Doctor." 

"Good luck, mistress." the dog said as she left. 

Sienna locked back up the TARDIS and noticed more orangeish goop sticking to a corner of a small box nearby. She made a face as she brushed past, something was just unsettling about the voyage to her. Going outside the cargo bay areas, she looked around, then decided to listen to her own instincts about what may be going on. She pressed her back against the wall, closed her eyes, then cleared her mind. 

Images flashed through her mind, none of which made any sense to her. Sienna always knew she was to some degree clairvoyant, she could usually read what was going on when she put herself into a trance, but not that time. 

"Damnit!" she swore as the last image left her head painfully. "That's odd. Why the hell should a mental image inflict physical pain on me?" Sienna cleared her mind, then began to exit the bowels of the ship. As she looked around, she remembered the ship would be at the bottom of the Irish channel in about 8 years. 

"I wish I could stop it." the Doctor had stressed the fact that they not interfere with history, thus causing a paradox. Sienna didn't understand much of what he said, but she knew that if she did indeed interfere, it could be dire indeed. She reminded herself to look up the definition of a paradox when they were back in the TARDIS. 

"Miss, you shouldn't be down here," a steward found her near the crew's rooms. "Let me take you back up to B deck." 

"Thank you sir, that would be most kind of you." she allowed herself to be guided away from E deck. Once on the promenade again, she did not see the Doctor anywhere. Walking along the rails, she gazed out over the water, seeing the sun close to setting. She had missed lunchtime, doubtless that was where the Doctor was at that moment. 

Sienna wondered again about those mental images, then decided to try to focus on them again when the Doctor was with her. For the meantime, she went back to the room and picked up a book, beginning to read it. 

After awhile, the Doctor came in, flopping onto the couch. Sienna jumped as he looked at her. 

"Well, what results of your interrogations?" she asked smoothly. 

"Not much that you didn't already hear. Lizzie the little kid disappeared and pretty much lots of kids went missing last night. It was about six kids and four adults were gone. The times they were...gone ranged from midnight to one AM." 

"Not much there. K9 says the sensors haven't picked up anything unusual, Doctor. There's this orangeish goop I discovered down there. I had K9 analyze it, but it was inconclusive." 

"Really?" he leaned forward. 

"Truly. When I was down there, I decided to see if I could pick up any psychic vibrations. I got a load of pictures, too numerous so I couldn't see but more than a flash of them. When the pictures stopped, I got a brief sharp pain in my head. It's so odd, mental images don't inflict physical pain." 

"Is that so now?" the Doctor sat beside Sienna and began to put his hands at her temples and probe her mind. "I want you to try it again. I'll be here and try to help you make sense of them." 

"Are you sure, Doctor? I don't want anything bad to happen to either of us." the Doctor smiled, reassuring her by simply holding one of her hands, using his other to draw her hair back from her ears. 

"Something bad may happen to all of us on the ship if we don't. It'll be all right, just believe." he told Sienna, who gave him a tenative smile in return. 

"Try." he whispered. She nodded, closing her eyes and clearing her mind, imagining a white space. The Doctor put both hands back on her temples and closed his eyes, ready to help with the images. 

Sienna kept her mind wide open, then began to sense the psychic waves she'd sensed earlier. Imagining her fingers reaching out and bringing the waves towards her, the images came to her once again. They came with such a force that she cried out, the physical pain stabbed at her head. The Doctor yelped as well, but she thought it was more of a surprise. 

"Oh God, it hurts," she nearly sobbed as the images flashed through her head again. "Damnit." 

"Shhhh. Just hang on, Sienna." she heard the Doctor's voice through the haze of red pain in her head. She latched onto his arms, suddenly afraid and needing physical contact. 

The images were strangely familiar to him. Images of people in a bunker, huddled together, odd writings on the walls. People were lying on the floor, nets strewn everywhere, then the image led to an odd orange podlike structure. Children were huddling together in fright, the adults were trying to stand up to whoever it was that had captured them. The last image was a field of red with a black dot in the center. 

"Where have I seen that somewhere before?" the Doctor mused. Sienna broke the contact with him, looking at him with a pained gaze. He opened up his eyes and watched as she collapsed onto the floor. 

"Sienna!" he pulled out the sonic screwdriver scanned her from top to bottom. She was hyperventilating like mad as the Doctor propped up her head. 

"What is it?" she managed to ask.

"You're suffering from a backlash. Someone knew you were channeling and made you break the contact by releasing a huge burst of powerful psychic energy to you." he answered, putting her back on the bed. 

"That it?" Sienna managed a wry grin as the Doctor gave her a small half smile. He brought a damp rag from the basin, then put it on her forehead as she watched him. The Doctor did another scan with his screwdriver and told her the backlash was receding slowly. Sienna turned her head to look at him directly, but he frowned and positioned her the way she was before. 

"Do you think you could sleep for a bit?" he asked. 

"Will you still be here with me?" the Doctor squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring smile. 

"On second thought, I should take you back to the TARDIS. The backlash will take several hours to dissipate and I have meds that will help it go away faster." 

"Let's go then." she got up, wobbly until the Doctor propped her up.

****

It was a real trial, to get down to the TARDIS in the cargo bay, with Sienna in her present condition. Her head was screaming and she was still seeing red. The Doctor helped her as much as he could without arousing concern and suspicion in others along the way. 

"We're here!" he undid the cargo nets, then slipped inside the TARDIS, Sienna on his arm. The canvas had a small slit so that they could get right in without taking it off the blue box. K9 greeted them as the Doctor brought Sienna to the medbay, putting her on the exam table. Her eyes were shut, trying to drown out the lights that were only making the pain in her head worse. 

"This shouldn't take long," he prepared a hypodermic. "No more needle marks at least, Sienna. This med will knock you out for about an hour, when you wake up, you'll be good as new. Are you still seeing red?" 

"Yeah." she grunted. The Doctor put something on her left temple that took away the redness from her eyes. 

"What was that?" 

"Temporary patch to reduce pain," he held up a small box. "Works anywhere on the body." 

"How about that," she remarked. "I feel great already." 

"Easy, girl," he cautioned. "They're only good for two hours." he rolled up her sleeve, then asked her which arm she would prefer. 

"Either, as long as you don't get me with needles." she smiled. The Doctor matched her smile, then gave her the injection. Sienna felt numbness, along with pressure, then nothing. A very small black and blue mark was left where he'd drugged her, the Doctor was bandaging that immediately. 

"Way to spend my little vacation, all drugged up, aboard the best ocean liner ever." she said drowsily. The Doctor got her onto a cot before the drug caught up with her and knocked her out. He put a blanket over her, asked K9 to look after her, then went back to the console room to ponder the images more. 

K9 parked himself across the room, his eyes focused on Sienna. The metal dog went on sleep mode, he would 'wake up' once his motion sensor was triggered. That would mean Sienna had gotten up, thus his duty would be complete. 

In the meantime, the Doctor tried to get the images the way Sienna had, but he was not able to. Sitting down by the console, he wondered why, then remembered that she was human and he was only half. 

"Blimey," he muttered. "She's the human, more susceptible to psychic vibrations than me. And yet in some humans, they haven't got her power at all... Sienna's one of the gifted ones." 

The Doctor went outside the TARDIS and began to do scans of the cargo bay with his sonic screwdriver, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Walking around, he tried himself to tune into the psychic vibrations, wondering if the TARDIS had protected itself against them. He would have to ask Sienna how she did it when she woke up. 

"I wouldn't wonder what we've got around here. Some alien life forms trying to get back home?" he mused, wandering aimlessly now. "I wouldn't wonder if they knew a ship like this that would be sunk in the future isn't an alien spaceship. Perhaps their ship is in New York, where we're headed?" he opened up a door near the cargo bay, and was blinded by orange light. Blinking rapidly, he toned down the brightness as his eyes adjusted. 

"Oh, Rassilon," he whispered in a low voice. "So this is what they're up to, at least part of it." 

Bright orange pods hung suspended from the ceiling, like giant teardrops. The Doctor observed the missing people sitting down on the floor with their wrists suspended in the orange goo Sienna had seen earlier. 

With their arms up above their heads, the people and kids were silent, having been gagged. The Doctor crept around one of the pods and observed an alien putting another alien into one of the pods. With a wave of the hand, the pod sealed up. The alien produced a remote control, pressed a button, then the pod disappeared in a flash of light. 

The alien turned and the Doctor recognized it immediately. 

Oh, Rassilon, it's the Ood, he thought. The bald heads, red eyes with tiny black pupils, their tentacles for mouths, it was them all right. The Doctor remembered seeing red with a black dot in Sienna's mind earlier. 

This explains it all, he thought to himself as he jumped for the door, being stealthy on his feet. 

When he re-entered the TARDIS, everything was as he left it. Going down to the medbay, he saw K9 on sleep mode and Sienna hadn't stirred a step since he'd left her an hour ago. The Doctor sat down by her side, looking at her face intently. 

"Suppose I could enter your dreams and tell you to wake up?" he grinned for a moment. It would be rude, but he wanted to try it. The Doctor put his hands on her temples and looked deeply into her shuttered face. Sienna's eyes opened up and looked at him with her wide brown eyes. 

"I wasn't even in your mind yet." he told her. 

"Doctor, it was your touch," she giggled. "I feel like myself again." 

"Good," he plucked the now useless patch off of her temple "I made a discovery while you were asleep, Sienna. The ship is harboring an alien called the Ood. I only met them once before and I don't know much about them. They appear to talk like others, but the psychic waves must have been caused by what they are doing." 

"Which is?" 

"I believe the Ood are taking people from here to take back home to their planet. I don't know why, may be a war, but we must stop them." 

"I should get into my combat gear then," her eyes sparkled. The Doctor had to refuse her, they were still in the time period and it wouldn't be good for her to be seen wearing futuristic clothes. He did allow her to take her magnums and shove them into the pockets of her dress. 

"Okay, let's go for it." Sienna loaded her guns, the Doctor made sure he had his sonic screwdriver handy. They locked up the TARDIS, then with one of her guns raised, Sienna looked forward and they advanced. 

****

"Quick, Sienna. I want you to untie the kids and adults, while I deal with the Ood." the Doctor whispered to her as she nodded to him. His intrepid companion went to the people, signaled them to be quiet, then went to work with her hands, scraping off the gunk and freeing the people. The gunk had held them still, it resisted all pulling and attempts to slacken by the prisoners, but Sienna found that if she scraped away at the wall, the ooze came off freely. 

"I want you all to go back to your rooms, quickly now!" she hissed as the Ood came into the room and saw her. One child took a look at them, then at Sienna, and hugged her. 

"Are you Lizzie?" she hugged her quickly. 

"Yes!" 

"Your mother's worried sick about you. Go!" she shooed the little girl out the door and shut it. Turning, she faced the Ood, aiming her gun at them. The Ood looked at her quizzically, then began to talk to her. 

"You are the telepathic one," one said. " We sensed you sensing us earlier and gave you a backlash." 

"Yeah, well, thanks for that," she sneered. "I recover quickly. Now what are you doing here?" 

"We need people for our armies back home." another one said. 

"Oh, so you steal people from other planets and ship them back to your home? How did you get them all here without a struggle? Now, leave the earth and never return. Or you'll have me to deal with!" she threatened, waving the gun menacingly. Sienna knew through her peripheral vision that the Doctor was disabling the pods and the alarm system. 

"We put in psychic vibrations into their dreams. We made them telepathically comply with us. You will never stop us." the lead Ood told her, glaring at her now. She took aim and fired, but the bullet managed to miss the Ood and slam into the wall. Guns useless, she put them away, wondering what they would do next. The creatures used mental telepathy, so she put herself in another trance, summoning up all her energy to launch a backlash of her own. It slammed the Ood with such ferocity they were all knocked off their feet. 

The Doctor looked up, confused. He saw Sienna who had been knocked off of her feet as well. He ran over to her, asking her if she was all right. She groaned, putting her hands to her head as she sat up. 

"I'm okay, Doctor." she grinned shakily as he helped her up. 

"What happened?" 

"I gave them a backlash of my own." the Doctor had to smile at Sienna's slyness. 

"You'll have to explain it to me later. Be all right?" the Ood were starting to revive. The Doctor pulled her over to the control station. 

"I'll be fine. What are we doing now?" 

"We are sending them home, Sienna. Can you launch another backlash?" 

"Impossible. I already used all my energy, Doctor. If I do it again, I'll either wind up comatose or die." she shook her head. The Doctor made sure the door was locked with his sonic screwdriver, then looked over at the only pod in the ship. 

"Can you open it while I hustle them in? They're so disoriented they won't know." Sienna and the Doctor moved into action. She pushed on the pod, but it was solid to her touch. She pulled out her gun, shot two holes in it, then kicked the wall open. The Doctor guided the three Ood into the pod, then used his sonic screwdriver to seal up the pod tight. 

"The earth is defended." he shot out to them as the screwdriver clicked and he put it away. He'd said those words to the Sycorax long ago and would continually use them ever since. Sienna looked at the orange pod as the Doctor went back to the console and got the code to disentegrate all the alien devices, sending them back home. 

"Well, Doctor, let's go and enjoy the rest of the trip, shall we?" she took his arm and they both walked up to the promenade. 

They hadn't been there for more than a few minutes when they heard a cry of, "Hey, stop that animal!" Sienna turned, shielding her eyes from the setting sun. A small furry brown creature ran and hid under Sienna's skirts. She sank down, pulling out the creature and holding it, stood back up. 

"Oh, Rassilon! It's a guinea pig!" the Doctor exclaimed. Sienna laughed as she stroked the furry creature. She gave it a peck on it's fuzzy nose and it purred in pleasure. 

"You look like a mother with her child, Sienna." he noted. 

"I have the maternal instinct, Doctor. No doubt you may have a similar instinct about me." the brown and gold colored guinea pig curled up in her arms, perfectly content to snooze in her arms. Sienna gave it an ear rub as she let the piggie doze off. 

"Good thing we're at sea, Doctor. I'm allergic to bee stings and pollen, that's all." 

"Really," he wrinkled his nose and narrowed his eyes against the sun. "I'll keep it in mind. How in Rassilon did you manage to conjure up the backlash of your own?" 

"Adrenaline, Doctor. I managed to work up an abundance of sheer adrenaline and focus it into a backlash. I then aimed it at the Ood and voila! Maybe it was partially a side effect of when you drugged me." 

"That would help explain it, yeah." he grinned. A young girl came up to Sienna and asked for the guinea pig. Sienna recognized her right off and handed her the animal.

"Take good care of your piggie there, Lizzie." they both grinned.

"I will! Thank you, Mrs. Smith, for helping me!" Lizzie disappeared, holding her pet gently. 

"Well then, Sienna," the Doctor drawled in his English accent. "What do you say we make the most of the time we have left on the ship, eh?" 

"Reading my mind again, Doctor?" she giggled as he led her away from the deck. 

****

The rest of the voyage, they explored the ship, played games, then tested out the gym several times. They even took a guided tour of the bridge and engine areas. Each night, they collapsed in bed, tired out from their excursions. Both of felt that they were growing closer together as friends, forming a tight bond. 

When the ship docked, they bade goodbye to their new acquaintances, went below, and entered the TARDIS before the crew started to unload the cargo bays. 

"Ugh, Doctor!" Sienna unlaced and kicked off the shoes she hated. "My shoes are horrible! I better go soak before I get too sore." he chuckled as she hurried to her room, peeling off the dress as she went. 

A moment later, Sienna's exclamation could be heard throughout the TARDIS, "YAY! I swear taking off this dress feels better than sex!" 

K9, situated in the console room in the crate he'd come in, went back into sleep mode. The Doctor lifted off from the ship and began to go through a time vortex. He sank down on the chairs as the TARDIS whirred and chugged through the endless vortexes. The glowing blue time rotor columns wheezed like they always did. 

In her room, Sienna got into her blue cami top with her black track pants. She stretched out on her bed, reaching for a book, then went out to the console room. The Doctor was sitting on the couch, staring as if mesmorized by the time rotor colums going up and down. Sienna went up to the couch and told the Doctor to move over. She sat down, propping up her feet like she'd always seen the Doctor do. 

"Ow! Damnit, my dogs are howling after those shoes!" she complained. Sienna was wearing dog pawprint socks and no shoes on. The Doctor picked up her feet and began to rub them. She smiled at him, letting out a little sigh as he worked on her, getting her to relax some more. He took a moment to admire her socks, which were her favorite pair. 

"Nice. Did you give yourself a pedicure too?" he teased. Sienna bopped him with her book, a big grin on her face. 

"Nah. Look at my nails." they were long and smooth. Her nails had been buffed and painted with a clear polish. Her nails were perfect, they had little half moons in them, the ends of the nails were three quarters of an inch long, ladylike but short enough for her liking. She liked keeping them at that length, they were not long enough to get in the way. 

"Your nails are beautiful, Sienna. Your fingers are long too." 

"Thanks. Everyone always said that I had the perfect hands." just then, the TARDIS bucked, sending both of them to the floor. 

"Ow, damnit!" the TARDIS was still churning along, but the Doctor was knocked out cold from the impact. Sienna sat up and swore, kicking aside her book. K9 rolled over to her from his crate 'bed'. 

"Mistress all right?" his visor flashed. 

"I'm fine, K9. The Doctor on the other hand." she probed him, finding a bleeding gash on his forehead, just above his eyebrow. Sienna managed, along with K9, to get him to the medbay. She put him on the exam bed, then perused the medical devices he had. She found the medical scanner he'd used on her once, adjusted it with K9's help, and scanned the Doctor. 

"No broken bones, good." Sienna took care of his cut, mopped up the blood, and then checked his head carefully. She took his head up like it was made out of glass, probing with her long fingers, checking for a gash. He had nice brown hair, like hers. Sienna's was very wavy, she always had it cut short. Finding a very small knot on the back of his head, she winced for him, imagining how it must have hurt. 

Checking the fridge, she pulled out an ice pack and gently put the Doctor's head over it. Making sure the pack touched the knot, it would reduce the swelling and discomfort gradually. She produced the pack of pain reliever strips he'd used on her, the put one on his forehead, hoping it would reduce the pain for him. 

"K9, do we have any aspirin or anything like that?" 

"Master is deathly allergic to aspirin," the robot dog looked up at her. "I think ibuprofen would be more suitable." 

"Well, how about that. I can't take aspirin either." she put out acetominephen. 

"Ibuprofen has aspirin in it, K9. This is safer." she explained. Sienna sat down on the edge of the bed, taking the ice pack and holding it in place as she shifted the Doctor so that his upper body was in her lap. 

"Master is Gallifreyan, Mistress. He can heal twice as fast as you can." K9 chirped. Sienna gave him a glance, then continued to dab the ice pack to the knot. She probed it again, very gently, and was happy to find it had already gone down in swelling. 

"K9, what was that bump? Just the time vortex?" 

"Affirmative. Master knows time traveling in the vortex can be a bumpy ride." 

"Right. Okay, K9, you're free to roam if you like." the metal dog left the medbay obediently as Sienna remembered to ice the Doctor's head every twenty minutes for an hour. When an hour had passed, she flexed her legs a bit, making sure she had feeling in them. 

Sienna looked down at the Doctor. He had told her tales about his travels with that girl Rose, that invasion on Christmas day, the funky Dalek critters. She had no idea what any of them looked like, but she was enraptured by the stories. Of course Rose was gone now, but Sienna had a few adventures with the Doctor, the 8th and the 10th incarnations. She looked forward to more adventures in time with him. 

Her eyes traveled down the Doctor's face. His closed brown eyes, the brown hair that he had, most of all his lips. Sienna could not resist, once she looked, it was like those lips of his were calling her. She knew he didn't really approve of starting a relationship, but she knew she could kiss him and he wouldn't be mad. And hey, he was passed out anyway, what would it hurt? 

Leaning down over him, she got out from under his body, then sat on the edge of the bed, her left leg tucked up under her. Sienna also had a stethoscope she put into her ears and checked both of his hearts. Both sounded fine to her, as far as she could tell. 

The Doctor looked very sweet, lying there. She put the stethoscope away and leaned over his lips, entwining his left hand with her left one. Sienna put her lips on his, closing her eyes and putting all her feeling into it. Maybe he'd sense it and wake up. They'd had sex already, but she knew that was not likely to happen again anytime soon. 

After about fifteen seconds, the Doctor's hand closed around hers, she knew he was awake and letting her know. The Doctor put all his feeling into the smooch as well, both became involved in liplock. Finally, Sienna had to draw away to breathe. The Doctor's eyes looked up at her with a grin. 

"I never lose." he giggled. 

"Oh, Doctor," Sienna was getting her groove on and knowing the Doctor would stop her, but she wouldn't let it get that far. "I could outdo you at smooching your face and your neck, called necking." she let her eyes shine mischeviously. 

He looked doubtful, but when Sienna advanced on him, he did not resist. She actively lip wrestled with him, giving him a good necking, even licking at his ears. 

"Whoa, Sienna," he interrupted her. "I'm sorry, it's just that I can't do this." 

"Is it me? I mean, did you ever make out with-" 

"No!" he interrupted her again. "I don't want to compromise our friendship by doing something like this which could jeopardize it." 

"Doctor, if you really care for me like I do for you, it wouldn't be compromising it," she stood up and walked towards him. "It's nature and I know you're half human. Otherwise I should have gotten off on a guy on the ship." 

He didn't understand her slang, but did know what she meant besides that. "It's not you, Sienna. Whenever we kiss, it feels like I'm kissing Rose. I've already had my hearts broken. I just hope you won't be...." 

"Never mind, Doctor. Now, I want you to set the TARDIS for me. Have you ever been to 17th century Venice?" Sienna went past him into the console room. 

"I don't think so. You'll have to don more elaborate dresses though." he blindly set the coordinates. 

"A small price to pay." she said thoughtfully, a sly smile appearing as she looked up to see the coordinates set in. 

1748  
VENICE, ITALY  
EARTH

"Why would you want to go there anyway?" 

She turned to look at him, her brown eyes gleaming. The Doctor was a little startled, he'd never seen that look before. A look that was part horny, part seduction.

"Giacomo Casanova."


	8. Casanova

Sienna Meets Casanova

10th Doctor/Original Character(Sienna)/K9

Slight crossover with Casanova

Het sex/introspection/H/C/Fluff

A/N: VERY RAUNCHY AND SEXUAL FIC! UNDER 18: YOU WERE WARNED! 

1748  
VENICE, ITALY  
EARTH

"You want to meet whom?" the Doctor asked Sienna, looking thoroughly confused. She smiled and went to the console, seeing an image of 17th century women's fashion. The Doctor's companion went down to the clothes cave as she'd dubbed it, and chose a costume. Sienna, since her hair was so short, she fit into black pants, shoes, and a white ruffled shirt. Taking a black long coat, she put it on, buttoning it up all the way. 

"Giacomo Casanova, Doctor." 

"The famous hedonistic womanizer?" 

"The very one. And now, I must go and meet him and see if he knows how to get it on with me." she grinned devilishly. The Doctor looked at her with a glance that implied she was insane. Sienna put one index finger to her lips, mimicking a shushing motion. The devilish grin never left her face as she went to the TARDIS doors. 

"I'll be back before sundown, Doctor." was all she said as she left the ship. The Doctor shrugged, then went into the clothes cave. While Sienna was out gallavanting and having meaningless promiscuous sex with Casanova, he would be checking out Italian culture. Locking up the TARDIS behind him, he put his hands in his pockets, then strolled along, admiring the Italian countryside.

Giacomo Casanova was on the run again. Having helped a lady commit adultery, he was lurking under the bridge as the infuriated husband searched after him. Wearing his black neckerchief, bright yellow shirt, black trousers and boots, he would be easily spotted. The young hedonist searched with his eyes where he would go to hide until the heat went down in town. 

Sienna had spotted him ducking under the bridge when nobody else had. Making sure the irate husband was gone, she quickly dashed under with him, pretending to be a beggar for fun. 

"Well, hello, there." Casanova spotted her figure in the coat. 

"Bonjourno, signor." she said in a rusty voice. He chuckled and grabbed one of her hands before she could help it. 

"You talk like an old man instead of a young girl," he casually noted. "Show your face." 

"I beseech you sir, I am old and weak. Nothing would convince me to disrobe." she played it cool. Casanova examined her hand, her long fingers extended for him to see. He traced the faint lines her veins made into her skin. Casanova gave the back of the mysterious person a wry smile as he looked at her semi long nails, polished carefully. 

"You have very long fingers that look so young. Now, I must see who you are." his hands reached for the hood, but Sienna jerked away. 

"Very well then, sir. Permit me to rest at your abode for a few hours." Sienna sure wasn't being very subtle for her desires. Casanova looked, then ripped the hood off of her. Brown hair streaked with red--her dye was coming out--big brown eyes locked onto his blue ones. She smiled coyly, immediately locking lips with him. 

"Well, very forward of you, isn't it?" he said after she pulled her lips off of him. Sienna giggled and latched her hands with his. 

"Giacomo, I want you." she whispered into his ear. He flushed red, a certain desire was coming up hard and fast for him. Sienna sensed it and slyly slid her hand down his pants. The Italian was taken aback by her forwardness and nearly lost his load right there and then as she gave him a very enjoyable little fondle. 

"Let's get you back to my rooms, eh?" he gave her ass a playful smack. Sienna bit back a silly remark that she'd have to call a lawyer now as that was harassment. Times appeared to be simpler in the 17th century, but she knew better than to think it. Each century was difficult for all persons born into it. 

"Will that guy be looking for you?" 

"No. He'll stop in the bar, get drunk, then get back to his wife." Casanova took her hand, gave it a friendly squeeze, then both set out for his rooms. Once there, he unlocked the doors, giving her a hand on the steep stairs. Sienna looked for banisters, but swore when she didn't find any, letting the F bomb slip out when she stumbled.

"Such a mouth on such a young woman. How old are you, miss?" 

Casanova guided her up the remaining stairs, then looked at the young woman he had by the hands. Sienna smiled tantalizingly, she wore no makeup whatsoever. She shed the coat, showing her outfit as a guy. 

"Dressed as a man, I see. May I ask why?" 

"Well, I personally find dressing as a guy is much easier. The expectations are a bit lower, and it's much easier to travel. A young lady like me must have a male escort," she spat out. "Escorts indeed. My life would be so much easier if I was back where I was born." 

"Where is that, pray tell?" he hung up her coat. Sienna found his bedroom and lay down on the bed suggestively, pulling her shoes off. 

"I was born in America, Giacomo," she told him. "Don't bother with aphrodisiacs, I just want all you've got." 

"American," he tested the word. "And I take it you traveled?" 

"Of course. I was taught dances I would be arrested for performing." she winked slyly.

"Do tell. Or rather, show me." he stood at the doorway, watching his newest catch dance suggestively. Sienna did a shoulder shimmy, made circles with her pelvis, then did a few other samba moves. She ended by taking the neckerchief off of Casanova and tossing it aside. Sienna undid his shirt as he moved his hands up to hers. 

"Don't wait, Giacomo," she said suggestively. "I'm all yours. Do what you want with me." 

He grinned from ear to ear. "That's what I've been waiting for!" he undid her frilly shirt as she did his, then helped him toss his off. Casanova smiled as he tossed hers off, seeing her naked from the waist up gave him a boner beyond belief at the moment. Sienna grinned, knowing his uncomfortable reaction, reached her hands down into his pants again, then freed his hard on. She put her hands on it, massaging him and making him moan a little bit. 

"Do you want more?" she assumed a seductive tone of voice. He could barely talk, so he only nodded. Sienna slid one hand to his pants and pulled them down in one smooth move. 

"Well, someone's aching for a piece," Sienna sniggered. " Which piece do you want of me first?" she arched her eyebrows. Casanova put his hands on her chest, massaging her until she let out a little sigh. 

"Let's move this to the bed." Casanova suggested, moving her, throwing her onto the bed and getting on top of her. Sienna posed for him, he grinned, liking what he saw. He resumed his massage while Sienna made him take off his pants and boots. Nearly drooling now, he licked and kissed every part of her that he could get his hands on while Sienna necked her way down south and kept massaging his dick. 

****

"That feels really good...I don't even know your name!" Casanova exclaimed. Sienna threw her head back, allowing him to get at a few missed spots on her neck. She laughed as she wrapped her legs around his waist, enticing him to get the rest of her clothes off. Casanova obliged as she mentally thanked God she had remembered to take her birth control pill that morning. 

"You may call me Sienna." she was careful not to divulge her last name. Casanova stripped her, then traced his fingers over her midsection, trailing down south. He eyed her honey pot as she watched him, wondering what he would do to her for foreplay down there. Casanova met her eyes and then slid a couple of fingers up into her. 

"Holy Mary, Mother of God, that feels great!" she enthused as he laughed. 

"I thought you'd like that." he withdrew his fingers as she bitterly complained about it. 

"It's your turn to please me. Carte blanche." she fortunately understood what that meant

"Okay," she slammed him down against the bed, roughly deep kissing him. "I like it rough, Giacomo." Sienna always had a wild side. The Doctor had never seen it, she always kept it well hidden. She had vivid dreams about her and Casasnova doing the mattress mambo, she always remembered the dreams well. Sienna once remembered she was in a time machine, then asked the Doctor to set the coordinates for her. 

"Hmmm, rough." was all Casanova said as she kissed and nipped his flesh with her teeth, adding a little bite to him. He jumped, making her giggle as she continued to tease him, then finally deep kissed him, probing his lips with her tongue. He opened up and they tongue wrestled for a moment. When she was done, Casanova flipped so she was at the bottom, then began to aim for her honey. Sienna looked at him, cocking one eyebrow up, a grin slowly spreading on her face. 

"What?" he asked. She bucked up with her legs, making sure he got the idea. 

"We're missing actual sex, here, Giacomo. Come to me!" she stretched out her arms as he leaned into her, shoving himself right up into her. Sienna's head arched back a bit as the both of them began to pant with the effort they were making. Sweat beaded up on them both as they moved together in unison, each trying to get the other off. 

"Oh, Sienna, there will never be another lady like you!" he grunted, grinding his pelvis into hers. 

"There better not be!" she laughed. "Best sex ever with you, Giacomo!" 

"Best news I've heard yet!" he panted, almost to the point of climax. 

"Oh, God, Giacomo!" she clutched his shoulders and they both simultaneously cried out as they came together. 

Sienna clutched the bedsheet to her to conceal her nakedness as Casanova got up off of her. He smiled and stretched as she got up to help him dress. He turned to her and massaged her bare shoulders gently. She closed her eyes and sighed happily. 

"I take it that you haven't had good sex in a long time?" he asked, sitting her down, wrapping her in a sheet, then dressing himself. 

"Not this good, no. First I was raped, I had OK sex with a guy, I had sex with the guy I'm traveling with. It was when we first met, I take it he thought it was a mistake on his part. Like I didn't measure up or something. Funny, Giacomo, I just remember this and the way he's acting now. Something's just not right." 

"Tell me, was he very emotionally vulnerable and initiate sex?" he tied his neckerchief as Sienna got herself dressed, with his help.

"He was coming off from losing a very dear friend to him, yes." 

"Makes sense to me. We're men, Sienna. We don't think when we do some things. He needed reassurance that other women still find him desirable. He probably despised himself for losing her and thought other women would too. Or, he was so inconsolable and didn't think about his actions at the time. He may be embarrassed now." 

"Well, men do crazy things in many emotional states. Giacomo, thank you." she liplocked with him. 

"Are you off to see him then?" she put on her long coat. 

"I think I should, to straighten out a few things. That was the best sex I have ever had, Giacomo. Always remember that." 

"You're so like me," he traced her lips with his first finger. "Marry me." 

"What?!" 

His eyes were beseeching her, but she thought differently. 

"We're so perfect for each other." 

"Giacomo, we've only known each other what? Half a day? How much could you know about me? I just came into town and now I have to leave." 

"I know that we both love sex, I know I'm crazy for you." he gripped her shoulders. 

"Giacomo, slow down," she took his hands in hers. "You'll find the one that you were meant for. You can't go around and propose to any girl in the street. The fact is perfectly clear, you don't like being alone." 

"I'm not alone, I have my servant, Rocco." 

"It's not the same. You're addicted to the sexual dimension of a woman, Giacomo. You need to look deeper, a long lasting bond with a lady that will never break. Trust me on this, I know that much. You cannot marry a lady just for sex." 

He looked at her with his deep blue eyes, seemingly searching for something in her brown depths. Sienna smiled and pressed something into his hands, closing them together. 

"Just know this: She loves you and will always watch over you, Giacomo." Sienna kissed him one more time. 

"Thank you, and goodbye. I may return someday." she disappeared. 

Casanova found a piece of parchment paper in his hands. He unfolded it and let a painful sigh out before he could stop it. On the paper, there was a single name written on it. Henriette. 

He rushed down the stairs, trying to find Sienna before she disappeared completely. Casanova stopped at the streetcorner, crying out her name twice before he gave up. 

****

Sienna had heard Casanova's cry, but she ignored it and moved on. She remembered the miniseries on the BBC and realized that he looked a lot like the Doctor. But, the Doctor had a snazzy haircut and deep brown eyes. She reached for the TARDIS key she kept on a chain around her neck, unlocked the ship, and stepped inside. 

"Doctor?" she called, walking into his room. He was lying on his bed, motionless. In his hands was a picture of the Rose girl, Sienna figured. Something was wrong, he wouldn't be lying there asleep in the middle of the day. Taking the picture and putting it away, she put her hand on his brow, wondering. Those wonderings were dismissed immediately as she discovered he was burning up. 

"Looks like the Doctor has the flu or a cold," she diagnosed him. "Sounds like an oxymoron to me." Sienna giggled and barked for K9. The robot dog came in.

"He needs those cooling salve things he keeps, K9. Do we have any flu vaccines here? Or a cold vaccine or something?" 

"Negative." the dog told her, but went to fetch what she asked for. When he returned, she asked him to get the TARDIS up into space, lest anyone find them. The dog obediently did so, to her slight relief that they wouldn't be found out. 

Sienna picked up the jar and rubbed a bit on his forehead. The Doctor's forehead cooled off temporarily, the stuff would only last two hours at a time. 

"You need to get into your pajamas and get into bed, Doctor." Sienna managed to do that, wrestling around, then finally getting him into bed completely. She tucked him in, then checked his hearts. 

"They're both going, that's good. Right, I don't know how you Time Lords cope with illness, but since you can't stay awake, I will put IV solutions into your arm, so you at least don't become dehydrated. K9 knows your physiology so he'll speak up if I do anything dangerous to you." 

Sienna went into the medbay, ransacking the cupboards for anything that would be useful. She picked out a sodium chloride rehydration bag, a drip, then checked for the directions on how to use it. It was needleless, something else she hadn't figured on yet. Sienna found what the Doctor had used on her once, the little square that stuck to her skin and held the tube in place, plus dermatological penetration chemical that would allow the solution to flow into his veins without the needles. 

A small IV bag fell out of the top cupboard. She was about to put it back when she noticed that it was a fever stabilizer. Sienna hesitated, unsure whether to let the fever run its course or drug him with a med she didn't know what could cause him side effects. Turning the bag in her hands, she saw the small print, FOR HUMANS ONLY. 

"That settles it." she muttered, gathering up the items and going back to the Doctor's room. On the way, she noticed that the TARDIS was chugging along like usual, only the general mood Sienna picked up on was uncertain. She put her hand on the wall, looking up at the ceiling. 

"The Doctor would be okay, old girl. I'll nurse him." the TARDIS seemed to pick up on that and chug along with confidence again as she smiled briefly and went into the room. 

"Well, Doctor. I haven't had a flu bug since I was in the fourth grade," she said, looking at him, then sitting down and spreading the items on the bed. "I don't know exactly how this will affect the almighty Time Lord, but I'm doing my best here." she pulled out the stopper, positioned the drip on his left side since he was right handed, and connected the tubing. She hung the bag, threaded the bit of tubing through the drip, and then began to prep the back of his hand. 

Sienna took his left hand, checked the back of it, then undid the packaging, opening up the bottle. She took a swab, put it on the center of his hand, spreading out the chemical a bit. Casting a glance at the Doctor's prone form, she ripped the packaging off the small square, fitted the tubing to it, then put it down on the swabbed area. Pressing down firmly, she heard a small sucking sound and smiled. It was working. Taking a roll of surgical tape, she taped down the tube up to his mid arm, then made sure that the tubing was secured down tightly. She didn't want the Doctor waking up and ripping it out without her knowing. 

"Okay, Doctor, I am just going to bring a cot in here and make sure that if you wake up and need me, I shall be here." she made up the cot with dog pawprint sheets, threw her purple fleece over it, then dressed in her leopard spotted pajamas and went to sleep. 

K9 rolled in an hour later, then observed his master and mistress sleeping. The metal dog went to a corner and went on sleep mode. 

Sometime during the night, the Doctor roused enough to ascertain that he had been intubated through the back of his hand. The drip had glowing red digits, showing the dose that Sienna had programmed it to do. He had to smile for a moment, his companion had shown some admirable foresight. He felt uncomfortably hot. 

He turned his head to see Sienna lying asleep on the cot. K9 was also present. The Doctor shook his hand for a second, alerting K9's motion sensors that he was awake. His faithful dog rolled forward, the red visor flashed.

"Master is awake. Should I awaken mistress?" 

"I'm so hot, K9. I think you should, though I hate to wake her up." 

"Mistress will not mind. She cares deeply for you, master." K9 went and used his laser nose to poke Sienna a bit until she woke up. 

"What is it, K9? Is the Doctor awake?" she asked, yawning.

"Affirmative." the dog retreated, giving her room to work. 

Rubbing her eyes, Sienna looked at the Doctor, sitting on the edge of the bed. 

"Sorry to get you up, Sienna." he apologized.

"It's all right," she looked at him blearily. "What do you need, Doctor?" 

"I'm so hot. I have a non aspirin fever reducer in the medbay." 

"Is it safe for you Time Lords?" he had to grin. 

"Non aspirin is safe for me." 

"Oh, good. I can't take aspirin either. I have a...condition in which if I took it, it will make my guts bleed. Anyway, let me go grab it and I'll BRB." 

"BRB?" 

"Be right back." she grinned at him and left. When she returned, she had a dose of what he asked for in a syringe. The Doctor extended his hand, she gave him the skin penetrating chemical, then pressed the syringe down carefully. With a small vacuum sound, the medicine went into his body. Sienna discarded the syringe in a small bin, to be cleaned and recycled later on. The Doctor waited a moment, then the flush began to dissipate. 

"Much better," he sighed in relief. "Albeit temporary, I grant you that." 

"I have to examine you," Sienna withdrew a penlight and shined it into his eyes. "I want you to look past me." she directed, testing his pupils' reaction. Sienna checked his eyes again, making sure they followed where her finger was going. She produced the stethoscope again, listening to his hearts. 

"I think you'll live," she stifled a yawn. "Back to bed, Doctor. I won't be letting you get up tomorrow, even if I have to chain you down." 

"But the TARDIS, we're still on earth-"

"Nope. K9 put us in that temporal orbit thingy. We'll be fine, K9 can monitor until you get well again. Go to sleep and I'll do the same." she tucked him in.

"Will do." the Doctor was fading fast. Sienna went back to bed. 

The rest of the night was very quiet, one Time Lord and one human slept, the robot dog on sleep mode as well. 

****

Sienna stirred, quietly stretching before she opened up her eyes. She listened for a moment, hearing nothing but the TARDIS's continual wheezing and chugging away as usual. Getting up and going to her room, she showered, changed clothes, took her daily medicine, then went back in to see the Doctor. 

He was sitting up in bed, his color still a bit off, but the flushed look of last night was completely gone. The Doctor looked at her, grinning. 

"Good morning, Sienna!" he trumpeted. "I already do feel better." she clasped one hand to his brow and noticed the fever was gone. He moved to dress, but she stopped him. 

"Nope. You stay in bed and rest today. I want to take advantage of you like this, unable to get away." she settled down next to him, clad in her black off the shoulder top, blue jeans, and her favorite sneakers. The Doctor noticed her hoop earrings, small, medium, large, with a round silver colored disc in the centers. 

"What do you want to know?" he asked with a smile. 

"Who was this Rose? I know you'll get depressed, but look at it this way, Doctor: If you answer me now, I don't have to ask again." his look turned from happy to depressed, his eyes going dark. She gave him her hand, he took it willingly. The Doctor was still connected to the IV, but she would remove that later on. 

He told her the story, how his eighth incarnation died fighting and ending the Time War. He hadn't expected to survive, but he did. His ninth self roamed through London where he met Rose Tyler. She helped to make him feel more human again, taught him much about human emotions. They had many adventures together until Rose accidentally absorbed the time vortex through the TARDIS. 

The Doctor described how he felt, Rose had cried because the time vortex was killing her slowly. He had reached out and kissed her, drawing the energy into him. It deteriorated his cells, slowly killing him. The Doctor regenerated into his current self, his tenth incarnation. Rose was taken aback, especially when the Doctor went through his post regeneration trauma and aliens were threatening. 

Sienna listened, hating to bring up the sex that they once had, but knowing she had to ask, once he was done. He narrated all the adventures they had, from the Daleks to Isolus, and finally the Torchwood disaster. Rose had gotten sucked into a parallel dimension, but fortunately, was with her family and boyfriend. Sienna heard the pain in the Doctor's voice as he said goodbye to her, using up the last hole in the time vortex. 

"You loved her too, didn't you." Sienna's voice was gentle, nonassuming. He squeezed her hand. 

"I did," he admitted. "I meant to tell her that, but the supernova I had drained gave out. If only she knew, Sienna." 

"Oh, Doctor," she put her head on his shoulder. "She knew. How could she not? With all those times you stood by her, there's got to be love in there. I am so certain that she knew, and even knows now in that alternate reality. Who knows what the future may hold for you, me, or even K9? Just believe that you may someday meet her again, Doctor. In the mean time, you have me, a loudmouth American to handle." she gave him a smile. 

"I guess it is better to know that she's alive and with her family, safe, wherever she is now." he thought out loud. 

"That's the spirit, Doctor! Please, just look on the bright side of all this. Replace negative with positive." 

"Sienna, if I made you feel inadequate or anything like that, I'm so sorry," he looked down at her. "You're the best thing since Rose, which I hope, means a lot to you. You're so many things that she was, and you are many things she was not. The point is," he realized he was babbling on. "That I thank Rassilon for the day the eighth Doctor suggested you travel with me. I know you don't have much back home, but I'm very happy you decided to continue traveling." 

"I wouldn't miss this for all the world." she snuggled up next to him. "By the way, what was with that spontaneous sex when your eighth self was conveying you to your TARDIS?" 

He blushed a little bit. "I don't rightly know. I guess you could call it spontaneous. On a personal level, I needed some reassurance from a female that they would still find me desirable, even after they knew I lost Rose." 

"So Giacomo was right," she muttered. "I asked Giacomo about that, calling you a good friend and he said pretty much the same thing." 

"Giacomo? Oh, Casanova?" he chuckled. "I wouldn't exactly put my last shilling on what he says. Anyway, Sienna, broken hearts need lots of time to heal." 

"I've had mine broken, Doctor, and I understand completely." 

"Your parents, I remember. At any rate, if we go back to earth in the same year, I want you by my side. I'll fight for you, Sienna. I know you will for me." he put his hands together over hers. She looked up and smiled at him, realizing that he had pledged himself to protect her. Their friendship was growing still, getting a firm bond that it needed. A bond of trust that almost nothing could break.

"You are right though, Doctor. I do feel as if you have shut yourself off from me because I am not Rose. I know you didn't mean to," she hastened on. "But that's what it felt like to me. If anything is bugging you, please tell me." 

"I kinda wonder if Rose is dead," he spoke. " It's been almost a year now." 

"Doctor, you don't know, so don't go there. I'll tell you what my grandmother told me before she died, you can always meet her in your dreams. Dream a little dream of her." Sienna felt her throat getting scratchy, but ignored it. 

He seemed not to notice. "You're right. I'm still recovering, but maybe I can take a nap and see if I can dream of her." 

"Okay. Well, I'm going to take the cot out and I'll detach you from the drip now. I hope you dream of her." Sienna climbed over him and set to work as he closed his eyes. 

Sienna planted a kiss on his forehead as she took the drip away. 

****

*The Doctor looked around, he was at Bad Wolf Bay, Rose was standing with him. The day was sunny, the waves were gentle, seabirds were squawking overhead. Rose was looking at him with a gentle serene smile.

"I love you, Rose." he blurted out, remembering how he'd been cut off last time. 

"I know. I've always known." she told him. They both watched the blue sky for a moment as the water crashed onto the sand near them. Rose was clad in white jeans, blue top, with a black bolero. The Doctor had on his electric blue suit on. She gave him a shy smile. 

"New suit, I see." he put his arm around her shoulders. 

"Yeah. New suit, new K9, new companion." 

"I'm glad. I don't want you traveling alone, Doctor." 

"I'm happy about that." 

"You said a new K9? What happened?" 

"It ties in with my new companion, Sienna Blackman. She was traveling with my eighth self until he got called into the Time War. It was her birthday when she got sick. My eighth self made a landing on a planet I was on, having become separated from my TARDIS, so I asked for a ride and got it. She recovered and at the time, I was still really stung from losing you," his eyes misted over. "Sienna came up to me and asked, so I told her some. I was surprised, I thought she'd stay away, but I was mistaken. She even sang to me once." 

"She sounds like a nice girl. The worst thing for you, Doctor, since you are the last Time Lord, is to be alone. You need her, however you may think that you don't, you do." 

"You're right." he conceded. 

"How are you doing, Rose?" 

"I'm doing great. Mickey and I are talking about marriage, Mum had a son, which she named Tobias, after one of my relatives. I'm working full time with Torchwood now. Not much to my life, though. Where have you been with Sienna?" 

"We had been on the maiden voyage of the Lusitania, the ocean liner from history she really loves still. We found out the Ood had been involuntarily recruiting humans for their army by abducting them through hypnosis. They put the people in a trancelike state when they were asleep, making them obey. The people all walked down to the cargo bay area where the Ood were and we, fortunately, foiled them." 

"How did you figure that the Ood were using a form of telepathic power?" 

"Sienna," he said simply. "She has a gift, Rose, she can sense psychic vibrations and tune into them. I mind linked with her and saw the images that they sent through her mind. She suffered a backlash, a supercharged power they sent through the vibrations. I managed to cure her of it. It would have worn off, but it wears off very slowly. She and I saved the day. Oh, she managed to send a backlash of her own." 

"I'm so happy you found Sienna, Doctor," Rose said at last. "I want you to be able to let her in like you did to me. Just know that I'm happy and I want you to be. I'll always be happy to know that we can meet in our dreams." 

"Yes, Sienna was right about that. She's suffered so much misery already in her young life."* 

The image began to fade, the Doctor woke up, a little surprised to see that Sienna was on the bed beside him. 

"Sienna! It worked!" he exclaimed. She looked at him, her eyes a bit bloodshot. 

"Good for you." her voice rasped. 

"Something wrong with your voice then?" he pondered for a moment. "I bet you have laryngitis! Come on then, no talking until it gets better. Do you like honey?"

"No." she managed to sign.

"Pity. Well, I can't give you anything for that. There is no pill yet that will restore voice." he glanced at the clock and saw he'd slept through the night. The Doctor felt much refreshed, his boundless energy had returned. 

"I met Rose in my dream, Sienna. I realized I need you with me, to keep me human." he told her. She smiled, about to speak, but he shushed her. 

"I'll look after you the way you looked after me. You can move about and such, but no talking. Do you know sign language?" 

"Yes." she signified. 

"Great! I'll understand you when you sign. Go to sleep." 

Sienna managed to fall asleep, wondering if she'd picked up laryngitis from Casanova. The Doctor watched her sleep for awhile, before falling asleep himself.


	9. Abduction

10th Doctor/Original Character/K9

Angst/Drama/Hurt/Comfort

"Well, Sienna, it's been two days since I forced upon you a vow of silence," the Doctor looked at his companion, playing the piano in the music room. "Let's see if you can talk now, eh?" 

Her hands paused on C major and she looked up at the Doctor. 

"You son of a bitch." she enunciated clearly, without any sign of hoarseness. The Doctor giggled, then put his hand on her shoulder. Sienna cracked a grin, looking at him in his brown pinstripes and canvas sneakers. She on the other hand, was wearing a blue long skirt with a simple light blue t-shirt on. Her star earrings bounced as the Doctor admired her rose pendant again. It did not bring him any sorrow to look at it this time, not since they had the talk previously. 

"I must say, you've colorful language. Think I could ever get you out of the habit of swearing all the time?" 

She hit F major on both sides of the scales, making the Doctor jump. Sienna stood up and looked him straight in the eye. "Your eighth incarnation couldn't do it. What makes you think you can where he didn't?" she slid her feet into her flip flops, the bands were decorated with black labrador dogs on a red background. 

"Hope springs eternal, like always." they went into the console room where K9 was stationed. 

"That and a million more similies or metaphors I can't remember." she sat down next to him, watching the controls for a moment. The monitor didn't show anything of interest to both of them, so they turned to each other. 

"Doctor, ever since I had laryngitis, I've had such odd dreams. It seems out of character for someone like me." she confessed, wondering what he would think. 

He turned his brown eyes upon her in concern. "What's been happening in them?" 

She told him the story. In every dream, she appeared to be in close proximity to a newborn infant who was apparently very sick. The dream never changed, it kept repeating itself over and over, so she viewed it as having some sort of significance to her. Sienna would stand, nobody would come to the child's aide, and when she would approach, the dream would evaporate in a haze of mist. 

"Could be some connection to you. Could also be someone calling out for help." was all he could say at the moment. 

"Funny thing, the kid felt like I have for so many years, Doctor," she spoke. "I felt so alone, though I had an adopted family that said they loved me. I felt like I didn't fit in anywhere and that's when my depression hit me." 

"You had depression?" he found himself taking her hands, more for his comfort than hers, but she didn't seem to notice. 

"Yeah. I have a chronic mild form that can worsen at any given time. It's called dysthymia. Funny that the kid should feel like I did." she cast her eyes downwards for a moment, then looked up at the Doctor. He looked startled, he never would have guessed by her demeanor each day she had clinical depression. 

"I'm fine in that respect, Doctor." was all she said. Sienna knew she couldn't convince him otherwise, he had to convince himself. 

He mentally shook himself off. "I never insinuated that you weren't, Sienna. It just came as a bit of a shock to me. Now, those dreams. Why don't we relocate to your bedroom and figure it out?" the Doctor stood up and extended her his hand. She accepted it with a smile as he led her to her bedroom. 

"Right," he sat down next to her, keeping the door ajar for K9. "You think of the dream and I'll probe your subconscious. Don't be scared, we've done this before." he put his hands on the sides of her head as they both closed their eyes. 

"Normal dreams so far." he said once. Sienna delayed a little bit, then showed him the dream which was causing her some distress. She felt him take it and probe it with his mind, then the sudden realization to him came with a jolt. His companion opened up her eyes and looked confused as he shouted out. 

"YES! Oh, I knew something was up in your mind. Nobody was trying to contact you but yourself, Sienna." she didn't know what to say to that. He took his hands off the sides of her head as he prepared himself to narrate what he'd found. 

"This dream, this infant that was sick, it was you." 

"What?" 

"Let me finish. When you were about two days old, Sienna, you developed a severe staph infection. For three days, they gave you medicine and it didn't look like you were going to make it." 

"Oh, God." 

"But, Sienna, someone you knew and loved dearly came to visit you. She sat with you and essentially, wooed you from death." 

"Oh, my," realization dawned on her and the Doctor nodded at her encouragingly. "My grandma Allie." 

"She was your rock, Sienna. Perhaps this is her way of reminding you that you still have a lot to live for." he smoothed back the hair from her face. 

"No, Doctor, it's more significant than that." she picked up her datebook and looked through it as the Doctor watched her. 

"No, no, no..... Ah, here it is!" she exclaimed. " May 20th. It's the third anniversary of my grandma's death. Doctor, if you don't mind, I'd like to pay my respects to her." he jumped to attention.

"Not at all, Sienna." she followed him to the console and gave him a warm smile of appreciation. He returned it, then gave her a cheeky grin. 

"What?" 

"Now you can show me where you live!" 

"Lived," she corrected him. "I will stay with you for as long as you let me, Doctor. I've grown accustomed to your...weird ways, K9, and I've started to call the TARDIS home. I think she likes me." Sienna touched one of the decorative pillars and the TARDIS seemed to flush in appreciation. The whole room went dark, then light in one minute. 

The Doctor had that cheeky grin again. "Oh, she likes you, Sienna." 

"I'm glad." she went to dress more appropriately. 

****

A few moments later, she reappeared, clad in a black pair of jeans and dark pink V neck t-shirt. Sienna put a wad of pink bubblegum into her mouth and started to chew it comfortably, noting K9 puttering around. The Doctor's companion put on her white Champion sneakers with a purple design on them, then put on a black velvet pageboy hat with a black ribbon glued to the left side. She put on a crucifix necklace studded with rhinestones. It was a bit gaudy, on a choker chain, but it represented her faith. 

Putting on her watch, which was calibrated to earth time, she added one more thing, her blue butterfly earrings. Sienna stood up and went into the console room. The TARDIS had landed and the Doctor had on his brown overcoat, ready for her. 

"You look nice, Sienna." he took her arm, then they went outside. 

"Thanks. Just a real key now, is it? The eighth incarnation had one shaped like a shovel and some weird constellation on it." she said in amusement as he locked up the TARDIS. 

"It's more inconspicuous that way. I'll get you a copy made, while we're here." he promised. 

"There's a hardware store around here, Doctor. I'll take you there first. It's been what, almost 4 months since I've gone away.." she trailed off. 

"Yes, it has. We've had fun, haven't we, Sienna?" the bell rang as they entered into the hardware store. Sienna took the key and asked how long it would take to get copied. The attendant replied in about fifteen minutes, so they went browsing to other stores on the block. 

"Cell phones," she remarked, walking past a window display. "I have one, but what's the use? I have nobody to call." 

"I could make it a superphone. You could stay in contact with your friends and adopted family that way." he had once done the same thing to Rose's phone long ago.

"Doctor, I'm a loner. That means I have nobody to call here on earth. What's more is that I desire to be worlds away from here when we're done." she smiled and took his arm again. He put his hand on hers, giving wordless reassurance. 

When the key was copied and paid for, Sienna took the Doctor on a walk to the local cemetary. They walked silently through it, admiring a pretty headstone here or there, or a beautiful bouquet of flowers on a grave. 

Halfway through, Sienna took a left and went midway down a row. The Doctor gave her a moment alone, then caught up with her. 

"Allison Langdon. Your mother's maiden name was Langdon?" 

"Yep. She had been a wonderful grandma to me, Doctor. Doing all those grandma type things like baking with her, she spoiled me a bit," Sienna bit her lip, a nervous habit. "She was the true mom I should have had." 

"How did she..pass over?" he watched her carefully, standing a few feet away, not wanting to intrude. 

"She was walking home one day and a drunk driver came out of nowhere and hit her. I couldn't get there in time. We had just said goodbye, she had the light on her side, and then this asshole just comes roaring out of nowhere." her hands went up to her face as the Doctor stepped to her and put his arm across her shoulders. 

"Thanks." was all she said. 

"Did she have the clairvoyant or psychic bit like you do?"

"No, she didn't. I just call it clairvoyance because I can't detect whether a spirit is male, female, etc. All I can detect is that there is a presence and what mood it's in. Some call it spirit sensitive." 

"You'll have to teach me someday. Can you feel your gran here now?" 

Sienna tried. "No, I can't. But I know she knows I'm here," she admitted. "She always did say I'd find a nice guy who'd treat me right." 

"That came true." the Doctor embraced her. Sienna pecked him on the cheek, grateful for his understanding. He just held her until he sensed that she had pulled herself together, then released her. Sienna's eyes were clear, they looked at the Doctor with the determination that he'd always seen, along with her vivacity and mischief. They mutually sensed the subject matter was getting too heavy, so the Doctor switched it.

"So how was the famous Giacomo Casanova, anyway? All he was cracked up to be?" hands joined together, they turned to walk out of the cemetary. 

Sienna laughed. "Best I've ever had, I can say that much." 

"Oh, and you're still so young," he teased. "Come on then, there will be better than him around in time." 

"Maybe. I shall rank every boyfriend I sleep with on the scale from one to ten. One being caveman-mostly grunting, scratching, and farting-to ten, Casanova. That means he worshipped me just for being me, made out gently, and let me take control when I wanted to. All in all, he made me feel so....." 

"Cherished?" 

"Yes, cherished," she agreed. "He didn't admonish me, he went along with it. Some guys are control freaks in the sack, but he wasn't." 

"I guess I can be glad to hear that." the Doctor's eyes searched around the cemetary, something didn't feel right to him. He clutched at Sienna's hand until she cried out at how hard he was gripping it. 

"Sorry. Something's going to happen here, Sienna. I don't like the way this place feels right now." no sooner had he said that when the first blow fell on the back of his head. He grunted in surprise and fell to the ground, releasing his hand on Sienna's. She turned in surprise, but nobody was there. 

"Doctor!" she kneeled down to see his eyes closed, there was no way for him to protect her in case whatever it was came back to finish him off. Sienna lugged him to the side of the cemetary hidden by tall oak and pine trees. Propping him up, she tried to bring him back to his senses until she thought of something that would help. 

She withdrew a prepackaged alcohol swab, tore it open, then waved the fumes under his nose, hoping to get some sort of reaction. He began to stir then, slitting his eyes open to see her looming above him, in and out of focus. 

"That's it, Doctor!" she cried joyfully. He was about to ask her something when he heard a loud whistling sound. Sienna hit the ground beside him, her eyes were now closed. His bleary vision detected something sticking out of her neck, he managed to extract it, using his left hand. The Doctor closed his fingers around it, whatever it was. 

Odd shapes loomed in and out of his focus. The last thing he remembered was some person disappearing. He looked to where Sienna had fallen and saw she wasn't there anymore. 

With a groan, he let himself fall back on the forest floor, submitting himself to the blackness. 

****

"Good work, Angela," a man's voice said, hustling to the van with the body they were toting between them. "It went pretty smooth." 

"Thank you, Donny. She had no idea, didn't put up a fight, nothing." they bound Sienna's wrists behind her back with duct tape as Donny got into the front to drive them away. Angela sat in the passenger side, occasionally glancing back to look at their captive. Donny drove on, oblivious.

"What did Tony and Dorothy want her for anyway?" he asked. Angela snorted. 

"Didn't you hear them? Or were you too busy trying to undress me in your mind? She's their daughter, Donny. We don't play into their affairs, we just take her to them, get paid, and that's it." 

"The best way to do business. Oh look, here we are already." Donny turned, they unloaded Sienna's body, then drove on, having been paid and happy. 

A six foot tall wiry built man with brown eyes and dark blonde hair looked down at Sienna, giving her body a nudge with his foot. The lady, a 5'10'' tall woman with wavy brown hair, looked disdainfully at Sienna as well. 

"This is her, Dorothy, the cause of all our problems since the day she was born!" 

"No shit, Tony! Let's lock her in the back room and keep her there." they lugged her in, slapped her on the pile of rags on the floor, then locked the room. 

Back at the cemetary, the Doctor woke up, groggy at first, but cleared his head once he saw that Sienna was gone. He scrambled to his feet, hunting everywhere for her, calling her name, but to no avail. The Doctor went back to the TARDIS, where he examined himself in the mirror, looking to see what damage had been inflicted. 

"My pupils are of equal size, I'm not nauseated, dizzy, etc. A small knock to the noggin is what that was. Now, to find Sienna. I know her parents were nasty people.... Maybe the library will have some answers for me." he thought of the newspaper archives, both online and off. He set out again, grim and determined to get her back.

"Oh, hello, what's this?" he opened up his hand to reveal a dart. It was a very small one, he guessed it had been loaded with a mild dosage of tranquilizer. The Doctor's rage grew as he went into the library, stuffing the dart in his pocket for now. He asked for library news archives dating one year ago in the fall, when Sienna had mentioned once she had been attacked by her parents. 

Three hours later, the room Tony and Dorothy had locked Sienna in was completely dark. Her still form began to stir, along with that a growing sense of dread. Sienna couldn't worry about what had happened to her, she had to be on alert. Someone had kidnapped her, so they obviously meant her harm. Now, every move could be her last if she failed to comply with her captors. 

"Oh, my head," she groaned. "Oh, damnit." her vision began to swim as she realized whatever they had tranked her with was not agreeing with her body. Fortunately, there was a bathroom nearby, she got into it and shut herself in. 

A few moments later, she stumbled out, her eyes all glassy. She collapsed on the floor, too weak to move around just yet. Sienna looked up as the door's lock was undone and a person walked in to see her. 

"Looky what our hired abductors caught in their little net." the tone was sneering. Sienna recognized the voice immediately, narrowing her eyes. 

"I should have known it would be you, Dad. How did you know I was around?" 

"Dorothy saw you and another man walking out from a hardware shop earlier today. We had planned this for a long time, Sienna. You had to go missing four months ago so we couldn't attack you again." 

"Not my fault I got away from either of you! You two crackheads don't know your asses from a gigantic hole in the ground!" Tony had cut her bonds, ripping the duct tape off harshly. She made no scream, but upon her remark, he slapped her quite painfully across the face. Sienna glared, terrified, but she'd never let on. 

"You sadistic bastards! You'll get what's coming to you!" she spied the door open, but she had no strength at the present to try to duck around him. 

"Your half brother turned out more admirably than you!" Tony shot at her. 

"He's just like you! I'm not! I consider myself the better of all of you!" she spat out. Tony immediately got behind her and wrenched her arm back, demanding that she take it back, but she wouldn't. He grinned sadistically as he heard a satisfying crack and Sienna's strangled scream of pain. 

"Let that be a lesson to you, coward!" he jeered, leaving and locking the door. Sienna, despite her tears of pain, ignored how she felt and focused on the Doctor. He had promised to protect her, she had faith that he would show up and take her back aboard the TARDIS, help her heal, and soothe her. 

"Oh, Doctor, where are you?" she asked aloud. Her left arm broken, it severely shortened the chances that she could escape. Sienna closed her eyes, but it was a long time before she fell asleep. 

The Doctor had heard the scream. It was growing dark out quickly, so he printed out and xeroxed what he needed, then went to the TARDIS. He sat by the console, tired, but determined still. 

****

After half an hour of alternately dozing and staring blindly, the Doctor remembered Sienna had once written down how she managed to put herself into a trance to try to communicate with spirits. He jumped down, went into her room, then ransacked her desk, finding what he wanted. The Doctor went into his room, memorized the directions, and tried it. 

Sienna? 

Oh my God, Doctor?

I found your directions. 

I can tell. 

Where are you? Did they hurt you? 

Yes, they did. Doctor, they broke my arm! 

Calm down, I am not leaving without you. Do you know where you are? 

No, I'm sorry. 

The connection broke then, Sienna broke it. The Doctor jerked his eyes open. Sienna was alive, she was okay except for her arm. He had the means necessary to repair it, and he would, when he found her. 

"You look exhausted, Master," the Doctor jumped when he heard K9. "Perhaps you should sleep." 

"Sienna's been kidnapped, K9," he told the metal dog. "I can't sleep until I find her." 

"Allow me to pinpoint the location she is at, Master. You must sleep." 

"All right. I just hope nothing happens to her between now and when I rescue her." 

"Have faith, Master." K9 went out of the room as the Doctor kicked off his shoes, coat, and his suit. Changing, he got into his pjs and got into bed. He was unable to sleep for the longest time, thinking about Sienna and the pain she was in at that very moment. 

Finally, he loosened up a bit and allowed himself to fall asleep, knowing he was of no use to her if he became sick himself. 

*Sienna looked up, she was in a hospital. 

"What the hell happened to me?" she wondered. "I know nothing about all this shit." she entered the double doors that said NICU and wandered into it. The nurse at the desk looked up, directed her to the left, third isolette on the right. 

Without questioning her, Sienna obeyed, looking at the isolette she had been directed to. Picking up the chart, she discovered that the little one had a staph infection. She drew back in alarm, realizing that it was her. 

"Oh my God," she whispered. "How could my parents just abandon me like this? I'm so sick and they don't even care." 

"Excuse me?" the nurse asked. "You're family?" 

"Uh, yes," she played dumb. "What's wrong with her?" 

"She developed a staph infection a couple of days ago. We're giving her medicine, she appears to be holding her own. Her grandmother will come sometime today and see her." 

"What does the grandmother hope to do with her?" 

"Just to hold and talk to her. It appears to her that this infant is very hesitant about life. It's a deep down mental thing, I can't explain it." 

"Don't need to, I understand it perfectly." Sienna replied. The nurse gave her a small smile as Sienna watched. 

"You can go ahead and touch her if you want." 

Sienna hesitated, having never handled an infant before. She put on the waterless alcohol gel, rubbed it on, then tenatively reached through the small opening and touched the child's tiny hand. The tiny hand opened up and clutched her index finger tightly. The 24 year old was quite moved by that small gesture and she felt her heart open up. 

"I can't believe that's me," she said in a tiny voice. "I'm so small, fragile.." 

"Yes, but look what you blossomed into," a familiar voice spoke. The Doctor. "Remember what happens in this child's future, Sienna. Your future." 

"Doctor, how could they do this to me?" she gazed, transfixed upon the child. The Doctor heaved a heavy sigh, not having an answer. He stepped forward, clasping his hand on her shoulder, kneeling down to be with her. Sienna blinked back tears, leaning her head into the Doctor's shoulder. He used his other hand to rub her shoulders comfortingly. 

"Remember how it all turns out in the end." he told her, disappearing*.

Sienna blinked her eyes open, lifting up her face from the cold damp floor. The left side of her face was dirty, her left arm had gone numb. 

Looking up, she saw it was still dark out, dawn was just beginning. Sienna saw two small planks, just the right size for what she had in mind. She got over to them, bringing the rags with her. She tore them into strips, then made herself a splint for her left arm. Binding the knots firmly, she uttered a small sigh of relief. Her entire bone had been broken, which was, to her knowledge, a simple fracture. Her biggest fear at the moment was the broken end pushing up through her skin, a complex fracture. 

Standing up, she carefully analyzed her situation. Sienna looked over to see the small window on the right side of the dank room. 

"Hmm, what can I get around here to boost me up?" she wondered in a whisper. The window was a standard twenty four inches high and wide, she was certain she would be able to fit into it. Sienna fumbled in her pockets, wondering what she had on hand that could possibly aide her in her situation. 

"Oh my God," she breathed, pulling out a miniature Phillips head screwdriver. "Let's see what I can do!" Sienna looked at the door carefully, noticing that the hinges were fastened in from the inside of the room. Taking the screwdriver, she silently extracted the screws, pulled the door ajar, then set out to escape the horrid house. On her way, she spied a small revolver lying out in the open. She grabbed it, then shoved a small box of ammo into her pocket. 

Her parents were both conked out on the floor, she smelled liquor and pot in the air. 

"Recipe for amnesia." she went out the door, not looking back. Sienna shut the door loudly, making sure she banged a few things as she went out. Her drug addled parents woke up then, Tony dashed into the room to be sure Sienna was still there. 

"Dorothy, the little bastard escaped!" he dried out, slurring his words. Sienna's mother picked herself up off the floor, cursing a blue streak any sailor would be proud of. Dorothy blindly looked for the gun she had, but it wasn't there. They both looked at the door which Sienna had unscrewed and put aside so she could escape. 

"The little bitch!" both of them took off, getting into their black van and gunning it. 

****

Sienna was not able to run very fast, nursing her broken arm. Still, she managed to find the TARDIS a few blocks away. She rapped on the door, calling the Doctor's name. 

The Doctor jumped awake as he heard her voice screaming his name. He leaped up, in his pajamas, then wrenched open the TARDIS door. Sienna was there, her body grimy from the dirt, a shallow cut on her right arm had bled, but it had dried up, flaking off slowly. The Doctor quickly pulled her into a tight hug. Sienna would have allowed it if her arm wasn't broken. She emitted a yelp of pain, causing him to draw back. 

"Sorry," he loosened his grip. "Your arm, I take it?" 

"Yeah," she winced as the pain became a little more than she could handle. "Doctor, they're coming after me!" 

"We can't let them see the TARDIS! Come, this way!" he grabbed her good arm and led her along a path. The rev of a car engine startled them both. They looked, momentarily caught in the headlights. 

"Come on, Sienna!" the Doctor jumped out of the way, but Sienna could not move as quickly. The van struck her, throwing her back about five feet. 

"SIENNA!" the Doctor screamed as the van stopped and her parents stepped out. She lay motionless, blood streaming down all her extremities. He ran to her, checking her over cautiously, making sure that she was still alive. Amazed that Sienna was still conscious, she looked up at him, trying to talk to him. 

"Don't. Save your strength." he put his ear down to he could hear her.

"Gun in my pocket...." she wheezed. 

"I may have to use it, Sienna." he fumbled in her right side pocket, withdrew the revolver. He shakily made sure it was loaded, then turned to face the two parents. 

"No further! The cops will be here at any moment!" he shouted, pointing the weapon at them. 

"Or what?" Dorothy challenged him. The Doctor wished he had some kind of cold blooded maneuver that Sienna would have done. Remembering an old movie he had once seen, he fired the gun at Dorothy's feet, making her jump back.

"No closer!" he cried out. "Do you see what you've done to this girl?! You've nearly killed her and by some miracle, she is still alive! Why must you torture and abuse her so!" 

"She caused everything!" Tony spat out. "Until we had her, we had a good life together!" 

"Is that all you can say?" the Doctor's eyes had fire in them as he spoke. "Is that ALL you can say about her?! She was sick a day or two after she was born and there was nobody there to help her, save for her grandmother! What kind of parents would do that to a newborn! I can bet she felt all alone and tenacious of life!" 

"We didn't care," Dorothy shot. "She fucked up our lives to the extreme! I didn't do jackshit for her because I had needs too and I did mine first!" 

"You mean you went OD on drugs and alcohol and left a newborn to fend for herself!" the Doctor translated. "How more irresponsible can you get!" 

"Leave off!" Tony barked. "Who are you, that you know her better than we do?" 

"I'm glad somebody asked! I am her best friend in this universe and will protect her from people like you! Have you no...semblance of a conscience whatsoever?!" 

"She will drag you down like she did us!" 

"No she won't! You both dragged yourselves down, slaves to drug and booze addiction! If only you could get off of those habits and see what a real down to earth caring, giving, loving person that she is..." he trailed off, not taking his eyes off the two parents. 

"You evaded the cops for so long, but now that stops tonight! I never believed in using guns to solve problems, but if you two aren't behind bars, I swear, I will shoot you where you stand now!" he roared. "If this young lady loses her life, I will hunt you down myself and charge you with murder." 

The two had enough presence of mind to know this guy was to be taken very seriously. They stepped back and watched the Doctor. Finally, the sirens arrived on the scene. The Doctor hid Sienna's body, knowing he had more superior medical equipment on the TARDIS. He could heal her within a matter of hours. 

Once the two had been arrested, the Doctor had given a statement on the spot, mentioning the past attack on Sienna the previous year. 

"Oh, Anthony and Dorothy Blackman, eh?" the cop remarked. "We got plenty of evidence on them, sonny," he spoke with a very thick southern accent. "With your statement here, I bet we can slam them in the big house with no parole, for a very long time." he gave the Doctor a reassuring smile, thanked him, then wished him a good morning. 

He sighed in relief as the paddywagons rolled away, then hustled to get to Sienna. She was amazingly still conscious. 

"I've got to get you into the TARDIS before you lose any more blood. Sorry, but it's going to hurt you." he picked her up. Sienna had no strength left to scream, she put her good arm around the Doctor's neck as he got back to the TARDIS, unlocked it, then put her into the medbay. 

"Doctor....I'm so glad...they're locked up now...you're my hero." she managed to say as he put her on the cushioned platform. 

"Thanks, I guess," he said, a little embarrassed. "I have to strip you down, clean you up, then ascertain how much damage you sustained." 

"Just use the handleld..scanner thingy." he rooted around in the cabinets as he finally found it, switched it on, then set it to scan for broken bones and any internal injury. 

"Your ribcage is completely cracked, of course your arm is broken too, Sienna.Looks like you're starting to hemorrhage a bit. Your legs, remarkably, are untouched by harm." 

"Plan..of action?" she asked. He smiled, getting the supplies ready. 

"I am going to sedate you, then this machine right here that looks like a big enclosed MRI machine will extend forwards, enclosing your body from the shoulders down. It has a special healing light I discovered on my travels centuries ago. Given the extent of your injuries, I have to put you in a medically induced coma for about..." he typed up the data and examined the readout on the monitor screen. " Ten and a half hours." 

"So long?" 

"Five hours for all your organs and bones to heal, five hours for you to rest. I'll then need to re scan you, to make sure we got everything and that kind of thing. You did good, putting your arm in a splint like that. It'll be a simple thing to heal." 

"Thanks." she watched him put the chemical on the back of her left hand, put on the square, and attach a small length of tubing where he gave her the sedation intravenously. 

"I'm giving you rehydration solution now, just to be safe." he explained. Sienna nodded and looked at the machine, ready to start healing her when the Doctor put in the command. K9 rolled in, ready to guard Sienna. The Doctor watched her eyes close slowly, set up her IV med, then punched in the command on the computer console. The tube extended like he said it would, the sides went down to the table's edges, sealing in the light so it could be concentrated on her battered body. 

The light glowed a bright purple, and the Doctor smiled. It was working properly now, so he could get back to sleep. 

"K9, alert me if there's any change." he directed.

"Affirmative, Master." the robot dog acknowledged his command. The Doctor went to bed, nearly forgetting he had been in his pajamas when Sienna had showed up. 

He had a dream before she came pounding on the TARDIS doors, that Sienna was kneeling down beside an isolette, her eyes bright, her first finger was in the clutches of her newborn self. She had been enraptured by the little child, lying there, very sick, when the Doctor showed up. He had put his hand on her shoulders, did not draw her away, but let her be. She was in a drug induced coma and didn't think she would be dreaming. 

"Sienna," he muttered. "Glad you're back home again." the Doctor couldn't sleep, no matter how much he tossed and turned. Finally, he got dressed and went to the console room, doing some repairs he had been neglecting. 

Five hours later, the purple light faded and stopped. The metal tube drew up the sides, then retracted back into the wall. K9 went to inform the Doctor, who came rushing in. He admired the handiwork that the machine had done, the medical scan proved nothing was wrong. The Doctor gently transferred her to a cot, attaching to her a heart monitor, pulse oximeter, breathing monitor, and a blood pressure cuff to her. 

"Breathing is a little low, I can fix that," he attached to her a cannula. "Pulse about 60, normal, BP about 120/70, normal, now the O2 saturation is at 98 percent." 

"All very good signs, Master." K9 spoke up, giving the Doctor a jump. 

"Yes indeed, K9. Will you look after her for me, another five hours?" 

"Affirmative, Master. You need sleep." the red visor flashed. The Doctor checked Sienna's left arm, knowing she would be very sore when she woke up. 

"All right, K9. It's only what, nine AM?" 

"Nine thirty AM to be precise, Master." 

"Right." he curled up on the cot next to her and somehow relaxed enough to fall asleep.


	10. Enter the Daleks

Older Doctor means the fourth Doctor, because he does look older than the tenth Doctor

"This has got to be the right place or I swear.." Sienna muttered to herself as she approached the blue police box. Annoyed and frustrated, she remembered that the TARDIS had a different kind of lock and key, so she pulled out a device that glowed blue when she used it, opening the lock. She was clad in her standard combat gear of black track pants with three white racing stripes down the sides, her white sneakers, gunbelt with twin holsters that held her magnums, and a dark blue camisole top. Sienna also had a black leather jacket on, her face was smudged with dirt and bloody. 

"Ah, right we are then," she eyed the TARDIS's white interior with mild disgust. "White is such a tacky color to be used like this." 

"Actually, I happen to like it very much," a dry voice said behind her. She turned to see a 6'3'' tall man, curly haired with a beaky nose looking at her. "Now why don't you tell me how you got in here." he had a multicolor scarf, tweed jacket, a black vest on with a red tie. His slacks were gray, he had shiny half boots on. 

"It's quite simple, really. I know how to pick locks." her hand nearly went for one of her guns, but she remembered what she had been sent for and noticed the companion standing timidly nearby. 

"Ah, Sarah Jane Smith, delighted to meet you. My friend told me about you, big fan." 

"Thank you." the brunette said cautiously, dressed in a pale yellow sundress with matching flats. 

"You are the Doctor, I presume." Sienna stated, measuring him up with her eyes. 

He fairly recoiled from her proclamation, acting like she'd slapped him one. "I've never seen you before! How would you know who I am? You're too young looking to know of my exploits!" 

He was even more engimatic than the one Sienna knew. She'd have to be a bit more careful until she explained her circumstances to him. Her brown eyes watched the bright blue ones as she took in his appearance, the afro or 'fro as people from her time called it, but especially the bizarre scarf. He put his hands in his pockets, waiting for her explanation. With a tired sigh, she gestured Sarah closer as she began to talk. 

"My name is Sienna Blackman. I travel with the tenth Doctor. We were traveling along in the time vortex, when we were suddenly landed on a desolate looking planet. Both of us were immediately captured and taken underground. My Doctor is going to stand trial in a matter of about 3 days' time for 'crimes' against the aliens. Because they are his worst enemy, he was secured in a cell and I in another one. One night he slipped me his sonic screwdriver and told me to come here for you." 

"You worked the TARDIS yourself?" the Doctor steepled his fingers together, absorbing her information. Sarah listened, wide eyed. 

"No. It's a temperamental sort of machine. It or she took off on her own accord. I don't know if she was saving herself or mad at us. He told me of a transmat or teleportation system. In short, it's like the TARDIS where I beamed myself into this time right here." 

"Who are the ones who kidnapped your Doctor?" 

"A race I've never heard of before, but I've only been traveling with this Doctor for a few months now. The Daleks." 

"And they hold him on Skaro. It will take us a few days' time to get there, Ms. Blackman." he stood up, plugging in the coordinates that she had given him. 

"Call me Sienna," her attempt at lightheartedness failed. "In the meantime, I should get cleaned up." 

"I'll help you," Sarah interrupted. "Give me your jacket." Sienna handed it over. Both the Doctor and Sarah stared in surprise as Sienna's arms were full of shallow cuts, dried blood everywhere. 

"I'm fine," she noticed their stares. "I lurked around in the underground pipelining system. I endured rat bites, snakes, even a bit of barbed wire down there. I'm tough, I've had worse." 

"Why didn't you use the sonic screwdriver?" the Doctor prompted her, half wondering if this was all an elaborate joke. Sienna immediately sensed this, staring him down for a moment as Sarah led her off to the medbay. 

"I didn't have that kind of time, Doctor. The Daleks would have recaptured me. I assure you that this is no joke." she narrowed her eyebrows at him. 

"No, I didn't see that you would have had time," he mused to himself as they vanished. "Daleks probably pushed you out with that tongue of yours." mildly irritated, he glanced at the time rotor columns churning away, the transparent plastic giving him a blurry view of the TARDIS doors. 

Sienna hoisted herself onto the exam table as she began to clean her wounds with the antiseptic swabs Sarah had brought her. The latter watched as Sienna expertly rubbed on an antibiotic salve, then bandaged the deep cuts. Sarah looked at Sienna, seeing the resolution set in her face, her eyes had a hardness to them, seeming to speak volumes about what she had seen in the past. The journalist looked at Sienna's left arm, two tattoos were there, encircling her arm just above her elbow. One had a feathery design, one had leaves and flowers. 

"Where did you get those done?" 

Sienna, wrapping one cut with surgical tape to keep the bandage from falling off, gave her a blank look. "What?" 

"Your tattoos." 

"Oh!" confusion cleared as she gave a little laugh. "I did them myself. Henna tattooing is very popular in America nowadays. I bought the stuff premixed, put on the stencil, and let it absorb into my skin." 

"I like them, I really do. They mean anything in particular?" 

"Nope, just stencils. My Doctor put one on my back, though. In the shape of a scarab, which means-" 

"The symbol of immortality," the Doctor interrupted. "Ancient Egyptian." he strode into the room, eyeing with disdain at Sienna's bandaging, which looked neat and well done. 

"I'll thank you not to interrupt me again, Doctor," Sienna snapped. "What do you need?" 

He began rifling through the medical cabinets. "I'm giving you an anti tetanus innoculation, Sienna." he avoided her eyes as she looked to Sarah, who shrugged. The Doctor swabbed Sienna's arm, then gave her the shot. She winced as the sting intensified for a moment, then a dull throbbing started. The Doctor put a clean bandage on the needle mark, then watched her expression for a minute. 

"You all right?" 

"I'll be all right, Doctor. This is expected, of course. A dull stinging sensation for about 8 hours after." she got off the cot, walking out of the room as Sarah showed her the TARDIS wardrobe. The Doctor went back into the console room, retreating into the endless repair work on his 'old girl'. 

About 15 minutes later, Sarah and Sienna came back in, dressed in pajamas. Sarah had on a light green outfit, green and white striped pants, matching t-shirt. Sienna had chosen one of her favorites, blue and purple striped pants with a dark blue sport bra top. They sat down on chairs near the Doctor and began to gossip together. 

"So where have you gone so far?" 

"Hmmm. Let me see... I don't know the planet's name, but I managed to seduce the leader into telling me his military secrets for the civilian population. This was when I traveled with the eighth Doctor, mind you." 

"Fantastic!" Sarah exclaimed. 

"Yeah. Unfortunately the leader was also paranoid. He managed to sedate me, then implant a tiny poison bomb right near my heart. It began to inhibit my body faster then we'd reckoned, so the eighth Doctor cajoled a cardiologist to perform surgery to get rid of it. I was already on life support by then, so I couldn't be moved. Then, we managed to halt what we thought was a political uprising on one planet. We found out that it was one broad who was pretending to be for free reign government where the people controlled everything, but she was going to betray them and turn the whole planet into a dictatorship. She intended to put all these little bombs into drinking water and liquidate the population."

"My God," Sarah's eyes grew bigger. "How did you stop them?" 

"We managed to shut down the computer system, put the weapons into the authority's hands, then triggered self destruct on the compound. The next thing, we landed on a planet going through an ice age. I explored solo, went into a cave, then fell into a enormous cavern. Turns out a lost soul of a little girl was waiting for her mother to come and get her. the Doctor and I-mostly me, he found me down there-, convinced her to go into the light." 

Sienna and Sarah both distincly heard a snort coming from the TARDIS panel. The whirring of the sonic screwdriver was clearly audible as he fussed with the tools and wiring. 

"So odd.. do you really think that there are ghosts lurking?" 

"I believe it one hundred percent, Sarah. I know your opinion, Doctor," she shot in his direction. "Take these words with you wherever you go, an open mind opens all doors. You of all people, alien or not, should know that by now." 

"Go on then. What happened next?" the Doctor stood up, pressing control buttons at random. 

"Then we met the tenth Doctor. I was sick, we made a landing at a medical facility where supplies were obtained, and he came with us. He lost his TARDIS somewhere, I don't really remember that much. Anyway, the tenth one was absolutely heartsick for a companion he had lost." 

"Did she die?" 

"Yes, she did. In our world, she's officially dead. He told me that she was in a parallel universe that he can't ever enter." 

"Why not?" 

"Because alternate realities are rips in time the TARDIS fell through, Sarah. You can't get into them any other way. He said goodbye to her, and he can't see her ever again. I comforted him the best I could." 

"Funny you should mention hearts." Sarah grinned. 

"I know. He took me, for a birthday present, to my favorite ocean liner of history, before she sank, the Lusitania." 

"I remember that ship from school. She was torpedoed by a German U-boat." 

"She was indeed Sarah, but we traveled on her maiden voyage and it was heaven. We foiled an alien plot, stealing people to build an army, then a good time was had by all." the Doctor paused, unsure of what to fix next. The TARDIS wheezed along steadily, spinning through a time vortex. Sienna quite unsettled him, he was unused to American women and their crude mouths. She was toting weapons, it was his belief that she would be better off without then. He already knew she hated being interrupted, but there was more to her than meets the eye. 

"Go on." Sarah encouraged.

"I went to 15th century Venice, 15 or 14th century, I can't remember. Ever heard of Casanova?" 

"The famous lover who would lure girls into his bed?" 

Sienna giggled. "I knew his reputation and he didn't need to lure me into it." she blushed faintly, watching Sarah's eyes grow to the size of frisbees. 

"You didn't!" 

"I did. He's even better than his reputation, Sarah!" 

"Oh my!" both of them jumped when the Doctor suddenly dropped his neutron ram on the floor with a loud clanging sound. He picked it up, hoping the girls didn't see his red face. 

"Then I went home for a visit. That was a huge mistake." 

Sarah took a guess. "Don't get along with your parents?" 

"You could say that, yeah," she admitted. "Sarah, they kidnapped me, I got away. They're abusive crackheads and alcoholics. I don't know how many times they managed to elude the law, but they did. When I got back to the Doctor, nursing a broken arm, they had tracked me down, then hit me with their car!" 

"But you're okay now." 

"Yes. The Doctor, God bless him, a man who hates guns and violence, used one of my guns to keep my parents at bay while the cops were on their way to arrest them. I never saw him so mad before, Sarah. He was brilliant, standing up for me when I couldn't. He healed me, also. I wasn't beat up that bad, really, considering." 

"I've seen that side of him a few times." 

"Sarah, time for bed. I'm done in after a day like today." Sienna stood up and stretched, realizing they'd been talking for about two hours. 

"You can use the room next to mine. The Doctor's is right beside yours." Sarah offered. 

"You're very kind, Sarah. I can see why the Doctor is so fond of you." Sienna said as she was leaving. The women did their evening rituals, then both went into bed, snuggling in. The Doctor did not sleep much, but Sienna had a connecting door into his room, the door was wide open. 

After midnight, the Doctor did finally put away his tools and go to bed. He looked in on Sarah and Sienna, both were comfortably asleep. He did his rituals, then submitted himself to sleep. 

****

*"Sienna!" the Doctor shouted, brown eyes looking into the barred windows of her cell. 

She got up and stood on the small chair, looking at him. "What is it, Doctor?" 

"Take this." he passed her his sonic screwdriver. 

"What? Why-" 

"Listen to me," he gently interrupted her. "They tagged me with an ID bracelet. I can't get it off, nor can the screwdriver. I have to stay here, but you can get help. I want you to break out, use the underground tunnels, then get to the remote transmat station. Program it for these coordinates. You'll find my fourth incarnation. He can help you to help me. The companion is Sarah Jane Smith, she's a journalist. You'll know me when you see me, small 'fro, scarf, hat. Don't worry about me, go!" 

"Doctor," she joined hands with him through the cell bars. "I'll come back for you, I promise!" her eyes welled up and so did his. 

"I have no doubt you will," his voice shook. "Good luck!" she went to work on the door, simply removing the screws that held the latch in place. Screwdriver tucked in a pocket, she slunk along the walls until she found the underground tunnel they had passed by earlier. Sienna pulled it open, found the rungs, then climbed down, drawing the trapdoor closed. She pulled out her small utility flashlight and began to dash through the junctions, following the signs through to the transmat station. Rats bit her, the sharp edges of the tunnels scraped her arms, barbed wire that was unelectrified pierced her skin. She found the station, input the coordinates, time, and day into it, and as she was beaming up, aimed the sonic screwdriver at the digital readout section. It burst into flames as she dematerialized, making sure the Daleks did not know where she was going. 

Once on the planet where the fourth incarnation was, she'd stolen a leather jacket to conceal her arm injuries, avoiding unwanted questions. 

"Sienna!" her Doctor's voice rang out like a cry.* 

Sienna sat up in bed with a gasp, covered in a cold sweat. She kicked aside the covers in which she was entangled in, then set off on a walk through the TARDIS. She completed a lap around the whole ship, then reluctantly went back into her room. 

"Oh hell, I'm never going to be able to sleep until he's here with me." she swore. A song lyric she remembered from her favorite band Evanescence came to her mind, she sang a few lines of it, hoping it would calm her down a bit. 

"I have to be with you to live to breathe. You're taking over me." Sienna didn't care, she would put her life down for him. He was her life now. 

She pulled the covers back up, unwilling to have the Doctor suddenly awaken and find her wandering afoot in his TARDIS. Sienna closed her eyes, forcing herself to remain still. A floorboard creaked, then someone sat down next to her on the bed. She froze as a hand suddenly brushed her hair away from her eyes, then pulled the covers up a bit more. 

"Sienna?" Sarah. "I heard you get up. Is everything OK?" 

"No. I left him, Sarah. He was there in a cell beside mine. We were both roughed up earlier that day. I shouldn't have left him." 

"You had no control over the situation, Sienna. You obeyed him to come here. Now we can go into battle together with the odds a little higher." 

"I guess," Sienna sniffled. "It's just overwhelming right now." 

"It is," she agreed. "Try not to worry too much. You both will be absolutely fine and going through the universe in your TARDIS in no time at all." 

"We will. I know we will. In the meantime, your Doctor didn't seem to take to me." 

"He doesn't know you yet, Sienna. Give it time and he'll warm up to you." 

"More likely, yes. He's not met a loudmouth American lady yet. And it's been a trying day." her eyelids began to get heavy. Sarah noticed, then stood up, going to the foot of the bed. 

"It's a little chilly in here." she opened up the footlocker and spread a woolen blanket over Sienna. 

"That's better." Sarah noticed Sienna's eyes were closed and hoped she was asleep. Straightening up, she turned and saw the Doctor in the doorway. 

"Doctor!" she hissed. "You know how I am about sneaking up on people!" 

He ignored her remark. "I heard voices, Sarah. Anything wrong?" 

"Not anymore, Doctor. She had to talk, let some things out in the open," she added as he approached the bed and the still figure in it. "A heart to heart talk, if you will." she watched as he leaned in to observe Sienna. 

"That kind of talk is always good to have," he allowed. "I say, I really don't know what to make of her." 

"You seem a bit distant around her, Doctor." 

"I don't know her, Sarah. We shall give it time. Tomorrow, I will talk to her." he took Sienna's left hand and examined a cut closely. 

"Good idea, Doctor. Now, to bed." they headed off in different directions to their bedrooms. 

A few moments later, Sienna's expression darkened a little bit and her lips silently formed the word, 'Doctor'. 

****

The next 'day' in the TARDIS, Sienna cleaned up, put on a pair of black pants, chunky heeled ankle boots, and a bright green t-shirt with a black lacy bolero. Her combat gear was cleaned and put away, she'd washed her hair and let it dry naturally. Sienna hated using hairdryers, she didn't like the way her wavy hair poofed up like a helmet. 

Pulling out her iPod she'd had in the back pocket of her black track pants, she snugged on the earphones and went out into the TARDIS gardens. Sienna programmed her device to play My Last Breath, singing along to it. 

Sarah found her as she was going back into the main hall. "There you are! Fancy a swim?" 

"No thanks, Sarah. You guys still have a music room?" 

"Yes! This way." the room looked untouched by time, the same way she had last seen it on the tenth Doctor's TARDIS. She sat down and began to play Hello. She loved that song so much. Sarah sat and listened, unaware that as Sienna finished, the Doctor was there as well. He leaned against the doorframe, listening appreciatively as she struck the last chords of the song. 

"That was lovely, Sienna." Sarah complimented her, echoed by the Doctor. Sienna thanked them and stood up, putting her iPod away. She hummed the song as she went into the library as if on autopilot. Checking the shelves, she pulled out a collection of works by Edgar Allen Poe. She sat down on the couch, reading her way through the book page by page. An hour later, the Doctor came into the library to check and see if he had any works from Alexander Dumas. 

Sienna lying on the couch attracted his attention after a moment. He put down his book and observed her book had fallen to the floor, she was asleep. 

The Doctor stood up, picking up the afghan on the back of the couch and draping it over her prone form. She did not stir as he bent over her, checking her for any fevers or anything else wrong with her. Luckily, she had nothing wrong with her that he could see. She'd had a rough time, but there would be some good times mixed in. She'd already had a good time, she'd talked yesterday about that Casanova guy, he remembered. The Doctor checked her pulse in her neck, it was normal. 

"Daleks," she muttered in her sleep. "Doctor!" she jerked awake with a gasp again. The Doctor put his hands on her shoulders and restrained her. 

"It's all right, it's me." 

"Oh." she settled back down.

"This happen last night, I take it?" he knelt down beside her. 

"Yes it did. I couldn't sleep much at all." 

"Your eyes look a little red," he told her. "Would you like me to help you sleep without dreams?" 

"Anything." she looked older beyond her years. The Doctor put his fingers at her temples and induced sleep on her. She immediately closed her eyes. The Doctor picked her up, put her on his bed, then went into the console room to check on the systems operating. Satisfied, he felt the need to be with Sienna as she slept. Silly impulse, but he obeyed it nonetheless. She'd been through so much already. 

Staying with her and reading his book, the Doctor occasionally would glance up to see if Sienna was still asleep. Fortunately she was, every time. He turned a page and continued to read. Sarah peered in once, prompting the Doctor to signal her to keep quiet. 

Walking over to see, Sarah sat down on the ottoman next to the Doctor. The long striped scarf dangled over the edge of the chair, she tucked it beside him, lest he trip over it later. 

"Poor girl," she spoke. "To face those evil Daleks like this." 

"The perils of time travel," the Doctor sounded like a narrator in a bad play. "It is always a possibility. I know she's heard of monsters we haven't encountered yet. Sienna will cope and make it through." 

"How could she not? She's got us now!" Sarah attempted a little lighthearted jest. The Doctor only gave her half a smile and eyed the prone form of Sienna. Sarah drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, her gaze everywhere in the room. 

"That's true, she does. At any rate, I believe she can hold her own in battle. The Daleks will be a challenge to really test her mantle as a companion. I was thinking, Sarah," he sat up and matched gazes with her. "How about we all take a vacation together after we save me?" 

"That would be wonderful, Doctor." 

The two of them lapsed into silence, their eyes on Sienna's still figure. Sarah picked out a book, then began to read as well.

Half an hour later, they were still engrossed in their books. Sienna's eyelids fluttered, she began to wake up. Her brown eyes settled on the two bookworms that were happily reading as she sat up. A sly grin slowly spread across her face as she got up, then proceeded to slink out of the room without their noticing. Sienna got dressed in a pair of blue jeans, sneakers, and a blue halter top. Taking out her iPod in the music room, she jury rigged the device so that it could be hooked up to the stereo's speakers. 

Rustling around, she found a pair of five pound weights. Sienna began to work out, toning her mucles. 

"Doctor, where did Sienna go?" Sarah finally looked up. The Doctor looked up as well, seeing the bed where Sienna had been sleeping on was vacant now. 

"I'm sure she's lurking around somewhere." he blithely answered, flipping to another page. Sarah got up and began to search the TARDIS. She hadn't gotten very far when she heard music being played in the music room. Looking in, she found Sienna, who'd found an upright pole and was doing stripper moves on it. Sarah's jaw dropped open as Sienna shimmied around, performing samba moves. 

"Oh, Sarah!" Sienna jumped a little bit as the Pussycat Dolls' song Beep played. 

"Can you teach me?" 

"Sure! Come on, this is called the samba dance..." Sienna saw that Sarah was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, told her that she would need to see her body moving to the beat. She told Sarah to pull up the bottom of her shirt, then tuck it into her bra so she could samba move. 

"How else can I teach you if I can't see your hips moving?" she'd reasoned. 

Later on, both girls were samba dancing when the TARDIS lurched and shuddered so violently they were thrown off of their feet. They clutched onto the pole, holding themselves steady until the bucking and lurching stopped. Sienna and Sarah stood up, looking around. The iPod and everything else had been knocked slightly askew, but not harmed.

"You know, I believe in if this was tenure for riding a bull or bucking bronco horse, I'd have a hard time falling off." Sarah wisecracked, earning a big grin from Sienna. They straightened up, then began to dance once more. The Doctor burst in, his eyes bugged out as he saw them doing the samba moves. 

"What the devil!" he exclaimed. 

"It's the samba, Doctor." Sienna explained, shaking her hips. 

"I know what it is, Sienna. Does your Doctor approve of you doing that?" 

"Of course. Comes in handy if I have to seduce someone for information." 

"How many times have you done that?"

"Only once. But you never know. I keep in shape, just in case. Couldn't hurt for Sarah to learn too." 

"No, no. Good point." he conceded. Sarah pulled her shirt back down, panting a bit from the dancing. Sienna detached her iPod and tucked it away. 

"We've landed on Skaro, Sienna. We can leave the TARDIS here with the rebels, they'll guard it for us. I helped to start the first uprising." 

"What?" 

"Get ready and we'll tell you on the way." the Doctor tossed her the bag stuffed with her combat gear. When she was ready, they set forth. Sarah wore sneakers, camo pants, a light green top with a black jacket on. The Doctor dressed like usual, plus his big brimmed hat. As an afterthought, Sienna tied her dark green shammy shirt around her waist, concealing her weapons. She tucked her Doctor's beloved sonic screwdriver in one of her pockets, her iPod in another, and a Leatherman utility tool clipped to her gunbelt. 

"Ready." she procceded forth, showing them where the transmat station was. 

"Did you destroy this readout?" the Doctor waved his own sonic screwdriver over it. 

"To make sure the Daleks didn't catch me, yes." Sienna pressed a few buttons on the keypad control, then the doors shut. She opened up the grating, sliding into the dark abyss once more. The Doctor and Sarah followed her carefully. 

****

"It stinks in here," Sarah remarked. "I can hardly see a thing." the Doctor took the lead, following the signs. 

"What other enemies has your Doctor battled?" he asked, changing the subject. Sienna glanced at him, he encouraged her to answer him with his eyes. 

"He told me a few stories, I've already met the Ood....I know the Daleks," her tone was disgusted. " Slitheen... Autons...Sycorax, the Master." 

"Another one?" 

"The eighth Doctor managed to serve the Master up to the TARDIS, which ate him." 

"The TARDIS can do that!" Sarah exclaimed. 

"Apparently it can. Ask the Doctor to tell you about the Eye Of Harmony, Sarah," Sienna prompted her. " My Doctor told me stories about you two and your adventures. I have to admit that my favorite one is the Zygons." Sienna steered them into the Dalek building, cautiously peeping through a grating to see nothing in particular. The Doctor ushered her aside as he used his sonic screwdriver to undo the lock, then searched out the prison cells. Sienna got up through the grating with the Doctor's assistance, then Sarah came up through. He locked the grating back up, lurking in the direction of the cells. 

"Oh, Lord." Sarah turned away from a smouldering corpse lying on the floor, smoke still coming from it. Sienna rounded the bend, facing two rows of cells on either side of her. The Doctor walked in first, to check for any danger, then paused in one, looking in. He beckoned to the girls, who came up to him. Sienna looked into the cell window, seeing a motionless form on the floor. The Doctor eyed the lock on the door, then managed to pop it open with his sonic screwdriver. He opened up the door, he and Sarah staying outside, looking for the Dalek guards that may show up.

"Doctor!" Sienna remembered to keep her voice low. Her Doctor did not look worse for wear, remarkably. She tried the sonic screwdriver on his ankle bracelet, but it did not work. Sienna pulled out the Leatherman she had brought, managing to snip through the thick leather straps binding it to him. Putting her Leatherman away, she managed to wedge the bracelet into a crack in the wall. Remembering that he'd told her once after he was regenerating, Rose had put the sonic screwdriver in his hand, asked him to help her, and he'd woken, albeit temporarily. 

Putting the device into his hand, she whispered to him. "It's OK Doctor, I'm here now. Let's escape." his eyes opened and his face lighted up when he saw her. 

"I'm glad you're here, Sienna. Glad you brought the other me and Sarah Jane here too. No offense, but they know more about the Daleks than you do." he stood up shakily. Sienna steadied him, looking around as she did. 

"No offense taken, Doctor. Come on, let's get you out of here." just then, a sudden whiplash sounded and a scream was heard. 

"EXTERMINATE!" the Dalek's computerized voice cried out. 

"We've got to get out of here, quickly!" Sarah took the younger Doctor's left arm, draping it over her shoulders while Sienna did the same with the other arm. The older Doctor looked at his future self with a curious glance, then snapped back to attention. 

"We can't take him into the tunnels, Sienna. We'll have to go out the front door." he decided. 

"Whatever will work." she answered him. Her Doctor's head came up, looking around for a moment. 

"This will be easy, compared to the Daleks and Cybermen together. And that blasted Genesis Ark." was all he said. 

"What?" Sarah asked, but he fell silent again. The older Doctor blasted the keypad lock, causing the doors to slide open with a hissing sound. He looked near the edge of the door and saw the corridor was empty. 

"Come this way." he gestured to be absolutely quiet, then brought them to an open room. Sienna and Sarah lay the Doctor down on the cot while the other one kept watch beside the door. Sienna checked over the Doctor's condition again, drawing up his sleeves to see burn marks on his skin. He was thinner and malnourished looking. Checking her pockets, she didn't come up with anything that could be used to restore his normally boundless energy. She had some special lipstick, but that wouldn't help him. 

"Sarah, take over for the Doctor, please." she swapped places with the Doctor, who also looked over his future self. 

"I remember!" Sienna exclaimed. " He needs tea, Doctor! He says it's the free radicals and tannin which heals the synapses or something like that." 

"Where would we find something like that in here, Sienna?" he rebuked her. " In a Dalek building!" 

"Good point. Let's get him out of here then." she and Sarah resumed their positions as they observed two human guards walk by. 

"Where there's humans, there's medicine!" Sarah whispered. The Doctor looked at the guards more closely. 

"No, they're dogs." 

"What?" 

"The Daleks combined human DNA with dog DNA. They're the slaves." 

"Interesting." Sienna mused. 

"STOP THE HUMANS AND THE DOCTOR!" a Dalek voice cried out. They froze and came face to face with the one that had spoken. 

"Well well, the black Dalek. Nice to see you again-NOT!" Sienna shot back, undeterred. 

"BRING THEM TO THE MAIN CHAMBER!" the Dalek turned and went away, the dog slaves accompanied them to the chamber. 

"Well, we shall see where this takes us." the Doctor told his comrades, prompting a dog slave to growl and poke them to shut up. The main chamber was vast, with an opening ceiling and a hovercraft exiting through it. Glass windows were everywhere, forming a circle around the outer part of the main chamber, the Daleks were running around behind it. A large square that looked like a shipping container was in the corner, dog slaves were on a computer terminal. 

"See any exit options yet, Doctor?" Sarah asked him. His eyes fixed on the craft as the ceiling closed. Then, he spotted a transmat station nearly hidden along the wall. 

"Transmat." was all he said, but the girls understood. The younger Doctor stirred, beginning to babble incoherently. 

"Sienna..." 

"I'm here, Doctor." 

"They'll kill you!" 

"Doctor, I'm-" 

"I can't let them hurt you! SIENNA!" he shrieked. Sienna pulled out her lipstick, put it on, then kissed the Doctor on the lips, leaving the other two astounded. When she detached her face, she grinned, leaving the lipstick on. 

"Knockout lipstick, Doctor. He had it in his...arsenal back on his TARDIS. I thought it would come in handy." she twirled the tube in one hand before putting it back in her pocket. Her Doctor was out of commission, but the fourth one was still functioning perfectly. The black Dalek finally came in, putting the plunger like hand onto the computer port terminal and downloaded information. It withdrew, coming very close to Sienna. 

"THE FOOLISH EARTH FEMALE." it acknowledged. 

"The dumbass Dalek." she shot back. 

"SILENCE!" it thundered. " THE DOCTOR IS STILL ALIVE, HE WILL NOT LIVE FOR LONG!" 

"What else is new?" Sienna's pretended indifference was convincing to her comrades, but not to the Dalek. 

"HE HAS A DALEK ENGINEERED VIRUS." 

"That's what the woofers over there are working on?" the Doctor had to stifle a laugh. 

"THE DALEK VIRUS WILL SOON BE UNLEASHED ON THE KNOWN UNIVERSE! EVERYONE WILL BE EXTERMINATED!" the eyestalk twitched up and down as Sienna stared into it. 

"What is this all about?" the Doctor interjected. "You Daleks were built to survive with no moral compass or conscience whatsoever. Davros sure as hell didn't realize what evil he was creating." 

"HE WAS INFERIOR!" the black Dalek's little horns blinked on and off as it spoke. 

The Doctor's mind was going a hundred miles an hour. He needed a diversion to break the mood and cause some mayhem. He knew the Dalek virus had to be destroyed, but how would he get over there without being blasted away by the black Dalek's gun? Sarah held the unconscious Doctor as Sienna decided to put him down on the floor. As if she read his mind, Sienna picked up her Leatherman tool, concealing the action from the black Dalek, she unscrewed a screw from the floor, held it up in front of the dog slave, then threw it away, yelling, "Go get it, boy!" 

The dog slave barked and ran for the screw as the Doctor quickly took his sonic screwdriver and destroyed the black Dalek's eyestalk. With a guttural sound, the black Dalek began to spin crazily, yelling for the others to come and help it. Sarah leaped for the control panel that had access to the doors, then managed to shut all the doors down, trapping them in. No Daleks could get in either, though. The Doctor and Sienna dashed over to the computer terminals, sitting down and checking the status of developing the virus. 

"The revision process is almost complete, Sienna. Your Doctor was a guinea pig," the Doctor told her. "He's not dead or dying so they have to make it more lethal. This information must be destroyed." he pressed a few keys, unfamiliar with the computers. Sienna got up, then pulled open the web of wires shut in a closet space. She pulled out the Leatherman tool, poking around until she found what she wanted. A small metal enclosed rectangular piece with a large shiny circle in the center was connected to the terminal output. 

Giving the two monitors a look, the Doctor noticed that the screens had gone blank. Sienna held up the hardware with a triumphant grin, putting her Leatherman in and pulling out the screws. 

"This is the hard drive, Doctor," she explained. "All the data has been stored on here, I made sure that there were no backups whatsoever. Not like we won't trip self destruct on our way out, though. I'll wait until I get out of here to destroy this once and for all." 

"Are you sure that's the only copy?"

"Yes, Doctor. There were no other devices like a disk or CD drive in which to store their data. The program history said it had never been copied," she tapped the casing. "It's all in here." 

"Very clever, Sienna." both turned to hear Sarah screaming their names as the black Dalek went haywire. They went back to her, but not before the plunger like arm struck Sarah on the back of the head and knocked her out. The Doctor picked up his future self, Sienna picked up Sarah, both slung their comrades over their shoulders in a fireman's carry. Leading the way, the Doctor showed Sienna the transmat station, pressing the button to transmat out of there. Sienna yanked the self destruct button, then checked to see that she still had the hard drive in her pocket. They disappeared, triumphant.

****

"There goes the Daleks, at least for now." the Doctor heard the explosions as he unlocked the TARDIS. They brought in the younger Doctor and Sarah into the medbay, doing medical scanning to see if they'd suffered any broken bones, which they hadn't. The Doctor put a blanket over Sarah, Sienna echoed him, doing the same to her Doctor. She wiped off the lipstick, then put it away. 

"Now you, Doctor." without a fuss, she sat him down and checked his right arm over, seeing a few small cuts. He winced as she touched a sore spot, trying not to curse and tell her to be more careful. 

"Slight muscle strain," she gave him a knowing smile. "It'll be gone tomorrow. I recommend some acetaminophen since I know you're allergic to aspirin." 

He returned the smile. "I'd suggest the same to you, Sienna. You look worn out. You must be hurting somewhere" 

"The only thing that hurt was my heart, Doctor, seeing him like that." she turned to stare at her Doctor. His body temperature was already back down to normal, twenty degrees cooler than a human's. 

The Doctor stood next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders. " He's lucky to have you." she leaned into him with a small sigh. 

"Thank you, Doctor." was all she said, untying her shammy shirt from around her waist and hanging it up. 

"You realize we're not out of the woods yet," he stated. "The Daleks tested their virus on him and we must try to fix him back up to his old self again. Have you still the hard drive from the terminal?" she pulled it out, going to the medbay computer, plugging it in and bringing it up. She and the Doctor checked through the old files, reading the history and the chemicals used. The Doctor scanned through it, Sienna could see the gears turning in his head about ninety miles an hour. She knew the Doctor liked nothing more than to use his head when solving a problem. 

"How about that. I didn't even need my magnums that time," she checked the ammo supply. "Not much fun if you don't get to blow something up now and then."

"All the better it will be. Saves you from buying more ammunition, doesn't it?" 

"Got a point there," she allowed. "Do you think we can create an antidote or should we just let it run its course through him?" Sienna went over to her Doctor's side, taking off his blazer and rolling up his shirt sleeve. 

"I can create an antidote for him, most certainly. What are you doing to him?" 

She made a noise of exasperation. Both Doctors were so smart and clever, but so thick sometimes. "He obviously needs IV antibiotics and solutions to help him get back on the road to recovery, Doctor. Get him well hydrated etc, and he'll hold his own." 

"Were you a nurse before you came in line with him?" he disconnected the hard drive and began to rifle though the cabinets, looking for his chemical stash. Sienna hid a smile, then produced a syringe. 

"Nope. Besides the parent thing, I ended up on the OR table four times. Well, the third was getting rid of those nasty wisdom teeth." she examined the back of the Doctor's hand, noticing that this TARDIS did have needleless equipment, but she couldn't find any if it, so she had to do it the old fashioned way. Sienna picked out a vein, cleaned the spot, then poked the needle in cleanly, drawing a tiny amount of blood. She slid the syringe part out of the needle, connected it to tubing, then anchored down the IV catheter with surgical tape. The small bag of sodium chloride would rehydrate him fully in time. Sienna connected the tubing to the bag, then set it on a pole level with the bed. 

"Oh, Doctor," she remarked, seeing his bruises. "That sucks ass." 

The older Doctor, mixing up a chemical brew, shot her an annoyed look. "No excuse for foul language here, Sienna." 

"Aside from body, your personalities haven't really changed at all, Doctor. Consider that a mildly annoying thing. The eighth Doctor, him, and now you always lecture me on my bad language." 

"Does it ever work?" he added something that made the brew turn purple. 

"Hell, no." she giggled at his annoyance. 

"Better put heart sensors over him, Sienna," the Doctor loaded up a syringe. "We don't know how he will react to this once I give it to him." 

"All right." she turned on the monitor, put a circular sensor over each of the Doctor's hearts. She picked up two wires that were red and green, then stripped off the protective backing as she put the wires onto the sensors with a small snapping button. The monitor lit up, built with Gallifreyan technology so it showed the two hearts beating steadily. The Doctor took the bit of tubing Sienna had installed, then injected the substance into it. 

"Stay back, Sienna," he directed, giving her the syringe to dispose of. She put it in a red colored biohazard marked bin at the back of the room. "We don't how how he'll react." 

"You said that already," she reminded him. "I'd rather be near him." she moved forward, but the Doctor held her back protectively. 

"If he should lash out and you be in the way, Sienna..." was all he said. After a moment, nothing happened. 

"The results aren't as instant as I thought they would be," the Doctor lowered his arms and released Sienna from his grip. "How long would that lipstick of yours knock him out for?"

She glanced at her watch. "Only about 15 minutes more, Doctor. It won't be long. Where's the hard drive? We should destroy it." 

"Can't we just delete the files, Sienna?" 

Taking up the hard drive, she announced, "No, we can't. There are methods of reviving material on a deleted hard drive. I forget the standard term, but it is possible. Like a resurrection or something. This has to be destroyed." 

"I understand that." the Doctor took it from her."Come with me." 

Setting the TARDIS coordinates, they soon arrived. The Doctor threw open the TARDIS door, telling Sienna to bring the hard drive and throw it out into the oblivion.

"Wouldn't any passing by ship be able to pick it up or something?" 

"No. Look at this." Sienna joined him. 

"The TARDIS is protecting us. A supernova, Sienna. Throw it into that." she pitched the hard drive out, which instantly separated into every little component it was made of, each piece was vaporized after ten seconds. 

"Sienna, look." the Doctor pointed in another direction. 

"Oh wow. What is it, Doctor?" she looked. 

"A star's collapsing." a bright light flashed and little bits of the star flew everywhere. 

Caught up in the moment, they watched as the debris from the exploded star seemed to engulf the TARDIS in the brilliant light. 

"Wow, Doctor. It's wonderful moments like these that I wish could go on forever." he stood behind her and looked at her auburn hair, measuring her up a bit with his eyes. Sienna's small heart stud earrings gleamed in the light, she hadn't changed out of her combat gear yet. 

"I can see why," he agreed. "Your Doctor hasn't showed you phenomena like this yet, I presume?" 

"No, but he will." Sienna turned to face the Doctor, then shut the door. 

"I admire your faith in your Doctor." the TARDIS resumed the wheezing and churning through the time vortex. 

"It is the same faith Sarah has in you." she reminded him.

****

"Speaking of that, we better go check on them." they left the console room and went down to the medbay. Sarah was just blinking her eyes, looking around. When she saw the Doctor, she broke into a relieved smile. 

"I thought I heard you two." Sienna went to sit by her Doctor, giving the two a bit of time to themselves. 

"The black Dalek managed to clock you on the head. A pretty nasty lump right there, but it shouldn't cause any damage. Do you feel lightheaded, dizzy, nauseated?" he questioned. 

"A little of all of the above Doctor, but I'm really fine." she moved to sit up, but he pushed her back down. 

"I wouldn't. Sudden movement may make you sick." 

"Really." the Doctor pulled out what he called pain patches. He put one on Sarah's head, the throbbing and dull pain disappeared so she could walk around and be recovered faster. 

"By tomorrow, you won't need these anymore," he put them away. "By the way Sarah, excellent job today." 

"Thank you, Doctor. Now I believe I will shower and change out of these clothes. How is the other Doctor?" 

"He'll be fine very soon. He's starting to wake up now." Sienna's voice sounded. The younger Doctor's hands and his eyelids started to twitch a little bit. Sienna put one of her hands in one of his, gently coaxing him to open up his eyes. 

"That's it." she encouraged, looking at him with such fondness in her eyes the other Doctor and Sarah could see it clearly. His eyes opened and the rich dark brown eyes met her own brown ones. His face broke into a weak smile as he weakly clutched her hand right back. 

"Sienna," he rasped. She gave him a drink and smiled at him. "I knew you'd come back for me. I never lost hope." 

"Good, Doctor. You know me so well." 

"After you left..." it was getting harder for him to keep his eyelids open and talk to her. Sienna noticed and put her hands on both of his. 

"You can tell me later. Right now, hopefully we can move you to a bedroom." she glanced up to see the older Doctor give her a nod. 

"Would be nice....can you take this needle out of my hand now?" 

"Not until all the bag is drained, Doctor. You know I'm damnably stubborn when I want to be." 

"Language." he said, closing his eyes. Sienna rolled her eyes in feigned exasperation. 

"I'm never going to change my language, Doctor. You'll never get that part of me fixed!" the older Doctor and Sarah helped to transfer the younger Doctor onto the gurney, disconnecting him from the heart monitor. Sienna marched alongside, holding the tubing and bag carefully, rehanging it when they got him settled in. The Doctor asked to have the girls leave, so he could strip down the younger Doctor and get him into some pajamas. 

"All right. Doctor, we're going to shower and change." Sarah and Sienna left. 

Walking into Sarah's room next door, both pulled out identical robes as they began to strip out of their grimy clothes. Sarah threw them in the laundry chute, where the washer would start up once there were enough clothes. Sienna's gunbelt, lipstick, Leatherman tool, and the Doctor's beloved sonic screwdriver she put into her small canvas bag the Doctor had lent her. Her iPod and her cell phone went in also. Rarely used, the cell phone remained on Sienna's person and did not need recharging ever again. The Doctor had opened up universal roaming, then equipped her phone so the battery did not drain out. 

"Do you know what is going to happen on Gallifrey?" Sarah suddenly asked. Sienna glanced over at her as she was setting her sneakers aside. 

"Yes, I do. Sarah, I can't tell you anything because you'll tell the Doctor and he'll take steps to prevent it. He's strictly not allowed to interfere with the natural course of time." 

"Tell me this at least then, do the Daleks and Cybermen still try to ravage planets?"

"Yes. No more please, I need a shower." she picked up her pajamas and stepped into the bathroom. Sarah occupied the next stall. When they were done, Sienna wrapped herself in a towel, drying off. Sarah joined her at the sinks, looking at their reflections in the mirror. They were both tired, had bruises and cuts on their arms, Sarah still had the pain patch on her head. Sienna slid on her bra, underwear, and pajama pants. She tied the shirt in front, the green long sleeved shirt hugged her waist loosely as she struck a pose. 

"Nice," Sarah giggled. "I hope my Doctor doesn't see you like that." 

"Oh?" Sienna leaned against the door. "I want to give him a little shock, Sarah. I love doing it." she walked out into her room, tossing the robe on the bureau. The younger Doctor was asleep, the older one was with him. 

"Sienna, put your shirt on!" he scolded. "I thought a girl your age was modest about her appearance." 

"I'm from the century 2000, Doctor. I'm not very modest about my appearance unless I'm in public." he noticed her scar next to her navel. 

"What is that from?" he indicated. Sienna lay down at the foot of the bed and let him observe it up close. It was slightly curved in the middle. The Doctor noted another line at the bottom, which was white in color. Her scar was a dull pink, suggesting to him she had an operation only a few months ago. 

"I had an operation about 5 months ago, Doctor. Anyway, how is my Doctor?" she changed the subject. The Doctor took the hint and gestured to his younger self. 

"He's recovering, he will be completely recovered tomorrow." 

"Good." the Doctor watched her for a long moment as Sienna picked up the younger Doctor's blazer and pulled out his cell phone. It was a black model, non flip phone style. Sienna hated the way his phone looked and really preferred flip phones over anything else. She checked to make sure she had his correct number programmed into her phone and her right one in his, then put it back. 

"What is that?" the elder Doctor asked her. She got down onto the bed next to him, picking up one end of his scarf and admiring it. 

"It's a phone. The Doctor and I have to stay in contact, so we use phones to achieve that. It would have been handy in our last adventure, but never mind that." 

He reached up with both hands to put his fingers on her temples. "There's a real aura about you, Sienna. I can't quite figure it out. I know you were abused, but something went deeper than that, didn't it? Some secret that I think he knows.." 

"And why would you go saying that? Suppose nothing is wrong with me?" 

"My sense is rarely wrong." he looked into her brown eyes. 

"All right," Sienna sighed. "There's no need to tell Sarah this, understand?" 

"Time Lord's honor." he entered her mind, right into what she wanted him to see. Sienna was seducing a man when it turned ugly. He jabbed her with a needle, that made her muscles relax, and made her watch while he took advantage of her. The Doctor's eyes opened wide as he took in the scene, wanting to interfere to help her, but it was a past memory and he couldn't interfere. 

He felt Sienna go slack under his hands, then opened up his eyes to see her look at him, regaining her equilibrium. The Doctor held her for a moment while she looked him in his blue eyes. 

"Well, I don't know why I felt like that." was all she said. 

"It's been a long day, Sienna. Your senses reacted in that way to me unlocking that memory, that's the only explanation I can think of." 

"Makes sense to me, Doctor." she openly admired the scarf again. 

"Time for bed, Sienna." he watched her scurry under the covers and tucked her in. 

"Good night, Doctor. Sarah's already asleep, far as I know." 

"I'd better go say good night to her too. Sleep well, Sienna." 

"And you, if you do decide to sleep tonight." he grinned, then left. 

****

Late that night, Sienna was awakened by her Doctor waking up next to her. He was moaning her name, then his hand fumbled underneath the blankets and found one of hers. She latched onto it, hoping that would reassure him a bit. Turning to face him, she saw his eyes were closed. 

"It's okay Doctor, I'm here now." 

"Sienna." his eyes opened and he clung to her. 

"I'm here for you, it's all right. Did the Daleks explain to you what they did?" 

"No, they just shot me up with some sort of drug, that's all. They did that and abandoned me, pretty much." 

"Apart from the cuts and scrapes we both got, nothing happened to you? It's obvious that they starved you as well." 

"They did, yes. It was about three days when you left. Later that day, they turned out the dog slaves to search for you, but that was futile," he grinned. "You clever, clever girl. I knew you had my sonic screwdriver. They traced the signal to the transmat station, where I heard the digital readout of where you had transmatted to was blown up. The black Dalek had one of the dog slaves shoot me up with a drug and I remember I became sick from it." 

"Yes. That was a Dalek engineered virus, Doctor. What else do you remember?" 

"You coming in and getting me, taking me down the corridors, then we were in the main chamber. I started becoming loud and babbling, then I think you kissed me. Everything's a blur after that." 

"You're right. We dragged you out, caught by the black Dalek, then we were in the main room. You did become incoherent and rambling, so I put on that special lipstick you had in the TARDIS, then I kissed you with it. It shut you up. The other Doctor and I got the data from the computers, he made up an antidote, shot you up with that, then we destroyed the hard drive." 

"How?"

"We shot it into a supernova." 

"Smart move. That'll set Dalek progress back awhile." he commented, both fell back asleep. 

The next day, the younger Doctor, in his blue suit with red canvas sneakers stood with the older looking Doctor at the console. Sienna wore her blue, pink, and dark green skirt with a dark purple background, her sleeveless blue tank top, and her white sneakers. Both of her tattoos showed, she was able to remove the bandages from the wounds she had sustained. Her Doctor had put on her the pendant necklace, the one with two roses that had crystal centers in them. He had admired it on her ever since they had first met. 

Sarah wore simple jeans, sneakers, and a halter top, with a black ribbon at her neck, knotted to look like a choker. The older Doctor had on his traditional gray pants, waistcoat, hat, scarf. 

"You know, I've been thinking," he told the others. "How about we all vacation together? It'll be a sure bet what your TARDIS will get a fix on you and land wherever we are. She can't get to you in deep space." 

Sienna glanced at her Doctor eagerly, who looked at her and laughed. "I don't see why not. I would like to reacquaint myself with the Ms Sarah Jane Smith. A little R&R is just the ticket!" 

"Well said, Doctor!" Sienna chuckled as she and Sarah exchanged glances. 

"He's always this hyper, just to let you know." Sienna giggled. 

"Why Sienna!" he cried out, putting his arms under her arms and swinging her around. "You always said you liked it when I am this hyper!" 

"And engimatic!" she added, making Sarah laugh.


	11. Relaxation TIme

Vacation Time

10/4/OC/Sarah Jane Smith

A/N: just a reminder older Doctor is the scarf and 'fro Doc(4), younger one is the younger looking one, number 10

Sienna's eyes jerked open at the sound. She sat up and looked around, having just heard a small explosion in the TARDIS console room. Growling to herself, she threw aside her bedcovers, joined by Sarah when she went out into the hall. Both girls did not have to say a thing as they went down the hall together, dressed in their pajamas and bare feet. 

Both Doctors had been working on the TARDIS console, the younger one had just adjusted the vortex loop and accidentally pulled off the vector tracker face. The older looking one was beneath the console, sonic screwdriver in hand. 

The brown eyed Doctor had just tweaked one of the numerous little devices on the console just as the Doctor down below used his screwdriver and the device exploded. Hacking and trying not to swear, both Doctors decided to take a break. 

"Circuit overload," the blue eyed Doctor crawled out from under the console. "We'll let it cool down for awhile and then try again." 

"Good idea," the younger one looked up, dusting off the dust from his canvas sneakers. "Sienna, Sarah, what are you both doing up at this hour?" 

The other Doctor joined him as they saw both girls in pajamas, barefoot, hair mussed up from sleeping, their undereyes were a bit puffy. Both had expressions that could stop a bear in its tracks. They narrowed their eyes simultaneously as the Doctors grew increasingly uneasy. 

Without saying a word, they went to their Doctors, pushing them towards a bedroom with twin beds. Sienna pushed her Doctor onto the bed, Sarah echoed her on the other side of the room. The girls flung pajamas and robes at the Doctors, never breaking their murderous glares at them. 

"Sorry girls, if we woke you up," Sienna's Doctor spoke up. "The regulator needed work." 

"Really sorry, girls." Sarah's Doctor echoed. 

Sarah and Sienna both went to the door of the room, turned and looked at their Doctors. 

"GO TO SLEEP!" they barked, slamming shut the door. 

"I guess that settles it." both Doctors changed and went to bed.

At 6 AM the next day, Sienna was awakened by more tinkering around in the TARDIS console room. Sarah opened up the adjoining bedroom door and wandered in, bleary eyed. 

"Is there any part of the TARDIS where we can't hear them, Sarah?" Sienna wiped at her eyes, trying to wake up all the way. 

"Yes there is, actually. Out to the gardens. There's a gazebo we can camp out in until it's a more human hour in here." 

"No gazebo Sarah," Sienna grinned. "I'll just sleep in the grass." 

"There aren't any bugs there, I believe I'll do the same." the two moved off to the TARDIS gardens. Sarah and Sienna chose a spot out in the open where they'd be easily found if needed. It was a quiet peaceful place, so both girls fell back asleep easily. To their left, a fountain in a small rock wall poured water into a little pool as a few frogs dived in, looking for flies. A turtle warmed itself on a small rock as vines of ivy straggled along the rocks. Petunias and fuschia plants blossomed freely, adding some color to the scene. 

To the right, a few small maple trees were growing, a small stone wall made a little circle with geraniums and roses blooming. A flagstoned pathway led from the french door entrance to where the girls were. 

Four hours later, both Doctors were finished tinkering with the TARDIS console, looked in the bedroom for their companions. 

"No Sarah here." the Doctor tossed his scarf over his shoulder carelessly. 

"Nor Sienna," he tightened up his necktie a bit. "How's about the gardens? They might have gone there if they wanted to get away from us." 

"Most likely. Sarah always does like to garden." he opened up the french doors and peered out into the open. 

"Do you see them?" 

"No, but I bet I know where they are." they marched into the gardens and reached the end of the path, seeing Sarah and Sienna lying out on the grass, eyes closed. 

"Sienna," the Doctor kneeled down next to her, brushing back his brown pinstripe blazer. "Out like a light, she is." 

"Same with Sarah." the other Doctor noted. 

"It's ten AM now and we're on the planet we want to vacation on. We're not risking our lives like we were last night, waking them up now." he said hesitantly, remembering the identical glares from last night they'd both earned. 

"No, but it's vacation time. They've already packed what they want, so let's bring them out into the atmosphere." they moved Sarah, Sienna, the backpacks the girls had packed, locked up the TARDIS, then sat down in the grass overlooking a small lake. Sienna's Doctor stretched out by her side, chewing a bit of grass stem he'd plucked from the ground. Sarah's Doctor did likewise, tilting his hat over his face and dozing off as well. 

A little creature went up to Sarah, hopping onto her body and sitting down with a little sigh. Another small animal went up to Sienna, sitting down right beside her ear on her short hair. The Doctor grinned, knowing his companion loved animals and she wouldn't mind. He took off his canvas sneakers and set them aside, enjoying the feeling. The planet was unnamed, but he knew lots of species congregated to it in order to get away and relax. The locals were friendly people, speaking in a language that everyone knew. 

As if she'd read his mind, Sienna stirred, feeling the sunlight on her face. She turned her head and saw her Doctor, who gave her a wide grin. He reached over and picked up the animal that had been relaxing with her. She took it, delighted. 

"A guinea pig!" she exclaimed. The cavy was an odd array of colors, pink, blue, green. The eyes were gray, unlike anything she had ever seen before. 

"Brought here by Brits way back, Sienna. They were dosed in a chemical compound that opened up a wide array of colors beyond what you've seen back home. Pretty little buggars, aren't they?" he stroked the cavy behind the ears. The animal made a chittering noise, which the Doctor looked to Sienna. 

"Happy sound." she translated. 

"Oh good," he returned the smile. "This planet has no name, but all sorts of creatures come here to get away for awhile. I'd been thinking, how about a swim?" 

"Wonderful. What about them, though?" she got up. 

"They'll be fine." Sienna nudged the other Doctor as she walked by, picking up her pack. The multicolored cavy gave an indignant squawk and began to follow Sienna around. She rolled her eyes, but put on her swimsuit behind the TARDIS for privacy, then brought her things back down to the lake. Sienna wore her purple and blue tankini, the purple was a wide stripe around her bust, blue was everywhere else on it. She stowed her things, then jumped into the lake with a wild Tarzan yell. Her Doctor followed her, wearing neon green swim trunks. 

"Ha ha, Doctor!" she surfaced. "Can't catch me!" he ducked underwater to try to get her, but it was so deep she'd gone underneath him and broke surface under a small waterfall. 

Sarah woke up during the yells, as did her Doctor. She sat up, looking to see what was going on, then saw the two playing around in the water. 

"Come on Doctor, let's join them!" she did not wait for a reply as she went to change her things. The Doctor plucked the animal off of Sarah and looked at it. 

"That's a rabbit of a different color." the lagomorph was bright neon pink all over with yellow eyes. He followed Sarah down to the lake, but deigned to go in. Sarah leaped in, joining the other two in playing. 

"Come in, Doctor!" Sienna called. "More the merrier!" he stood at the edge, watching her. 

"I'm the designated lifeguard." he told her. 

"Shouldn't you be in swim gear then?" she went underwater, surfacing to grab his ankle, scaring him. 

"Come on, Sienna!" Sarah shouted. "Race!" Sienna ducked in and was gone in a flash. The Doctor straddled a rock, fiddling with his sonic screwdriver. 

When the swimmers were done, they climbed out, the girls donned their coverups and let the sun dry themselves off for a few minutes. 

"Sarah," the brown eyed Doctor said to her. "If Sienna doesn't mind, I'd like you to go for a walk with me. Been awhile since I last saw you." 

Sarah looked to see Sienna give her a nod of approval. "I'd be delighted, Doctor." 

"This Doctor and I will head into civilization someplace and stir things up." he grunted, but did not answer her. 

****

The Doctor and Sarah went away, Sienna sat down next to the older Doctor and asked him what they intended to do that day. 

"Nothing," he said. "That's what a vacation's for, Sienna, nothing." 

"Well, you could have fooled me, Doctor. Think I'll have me another swim. Sure you won't come in?" 

"I'm sure, thank you. I'll watch you, though." 

"All right." she shed the coverup and dived into the water again. 

After a moment when she did not come up, the Doctor looked at the water, on alert. Sienna burst up, waving her arm to signal his attention. Before she could say anything, she was dragged back underwater again. The Doctor dashed down to the shallow end, kicking off his shoes and splashing into the water. Casting aside his hat, scarf, and peacoat, he saw Sienna trying to reach him. She was struggling against something that had her left leg, her left arm was extended towards him, giving him something to grip. As he took her hand, Sienna recoiled, giving whatever it was a mighty kick. 

The impact did it. The creature was surprised by the ferocity of her move, letting her go. She shot forward into the shallow end where the Doctor caught her. He dragged her up onto the banks surrounding the lake, eyeing her critically. Her left leg was covered in blood, he also saw that her right arm had a few bloodstains on it as well. 

"Sienna, can you hear me?" he put his ear to her chest, making sure she was alive. 

"Still breathing, thank Rassilon." she had not inhaled water into her lungs, something she could be thankful for. 

The Doctor was measuring her pulse in her neck when she opened up her deep brown eyes and looked at him. Sienna's expression turned into one of pain, the blood still oozing out of her leg wounds. The wounds on her arm had already stopped bleeding and would not need bandaging. 

"Yes Sienna, I know it hurts." he told her, pulling out the first aid kit she'd stowed away. 

"Not that Doctor, I can handle physical pain," her voice became urgent. "The pain's going away and I feel completely numb." 

"What? Unheard of." her pulse was fast and thready. The Doctor took care of her wounds, making sure to secure the bandages tightly. 

"What the hell was that thing? It had like, six eyes and huge teeth. I swear, I was never so scared in my life." 

"I don't know," he admitted. "But, I'll take you into the nearest town where they can look you over. Can you stand up?" 

"No, I feel completely numb except for my arms." she began to shiver. The Doctor picked her up, starting off with her to the small crowd of huts they had seen earlier. 

In the meantime, Sarah and the younger looking Doctor were talking, walking amongst the road. He had thrown on a ratty old t-shirt that was gray and felt better, covered up to some degree. 

"So you and Sienna have been traveling together for only about two months now?" 

"Yes. She was really sick when I first came aboard the TARDIS in my eighth incarnation. My past self helped her to recover and she found me one day after that. I was devastated that my past companion, Rose, had been put into a parallel universe. I can't see her ever again. Anyway, Sienna helped me to get on the right healing path, my former self was called into Gallifrey, and he said she could travel with me." 

"Humans aren't allowed on Gallifrey," Sarah echoed. " I know that, he's told me once." 

"Yes. Anyway, she and I have a great rapport together." he swiped at a nearby bush. 

"I know you do. She and I get along well together, though I don't know about her and my Doctor." 

"Give it time. They seem to be...amicable at this phase." 

"Better that than butting heads." Sarah muttered, passing by a sharp thorny plant. The thorn seemed to extend itself and dig deep down into her skin, opening up a big gash on her right hip. She exclaimed in pain, then slapped her hands over it, trying to stem the bleeding. The Doctor looked at the plant curiously, wondering what kind it was, but was back to business when Sarah seemed to lose mobility in her legs. He picked her up, then asked her what she felt. 

"It feels like a burning, Doctor," she kept her hands clasped over her wound. "I feel like it's burning me up." 

"Time to get to the local medic, Sarah. Don't pass out, do you hear me?" her forehead was already flushed with an odd sort of fever. He hurried on, remembering seeing a cluster of huts as they had gone down to the lake.

At the same time, the Doctor had put Sienna on the exam table in the hut, while the local doctor checked her over. He went over her, checking her wounds, asking her questions, then he turned to the Doctor. 

"She has been poisoned," he proclaimed. "By big creature that lives in the lake." 

"What is the name of that creature?" 

"We call it Aqua." 

"Odd choice of a name, but I can see why, it lives in water. Sienna?" her body was starting to cool down, an aftershock of the poison. Her eyelids closed, she expelled a breathy sigh. 

"Reaction to poison. I can heal her." the doctor picked up a bottle of dark green fluid and gave her a portion of it. The Doctor wondered what the locals' origins were from. The man sounded half Indian and half British. He had dark colored skin with pants made out of a skin from an animal that had been hunted. 

"She comes around soon. Anitdote will undo the poison in time." 

"How long?" 

"Half an hour." the Doctor bent down to examine her and noticed that her heart had stopped and she wasn't breathing. 

"She can't breathe. She's literally dead." he felt his own hearts nearly freeze in terror. The other Doctor would be devastated, so would Sarah. 

"Antidote make her do that. Temporary." the doctor left that segment of the hut. 

"Well let's thank Rassilon for small favors then." he huddled down to Sienna's side, watching her for any change. The Doctor knew she was a strong lady who didn't tolerate people giving her crap. Sienna was different than Sarah, she was more hands on, though just as inclined to disobey what he was saying. She and Sarah had made quite a pair, and had given her female companionship. He knew it was lonely, just being Sarah and himself and she never vocalized it. Even though, he'd seen Sarah's lively and talkative side ever since Sienna had come on board. Sarah didn't rub off on Sienna, they were firm characters who enjoyed tormenting the Doctor sometimes. 

Sienna would often tease the Doctor, especially like when he got longwinded and rattled off a long string of complex phrases she didn't understand. She and Sarah could understand some of what he said, but not all of it. Sienna would get on his case about making it not so hard to understand, but he'd take it personally, then she'd really tease him. The Doctor realized now that when he got very serious and intense, Sienna thought it was a good idea to lighten him up a little bit and get him to take things not so intensely. Sometimes it would work, he wouldn't get very disappointed when whatever it was sometimes failed. 

He jumped out of his thoughts when he realized that fifteen minutes had gone by. Taking Sienna's limp hand, he looked into her face, hoping the antidote would work. He heard a loud commotion and jumped up to investigate. 

"What's all this then?" he asked, seeing the younger looking Doctor putting Sarah on another exam table. The local doctor said it was a poisonous plant, gave her the same antidote, telling the Doctor it would work within half an hour. 

"Oh it's you," he looked at his fourth incarnation. "Where's Sienna?" 

"She was attacked by an underwater monster. Sienna became numbed, she could not walk, she became cold as ice. What happened to Sarah?" 

"The same thing, except by a plant. She couldn't walk, but felt hot. Way to start off a vacation, eh?" the two Doctors sat down by their companion's sides, waiting out the effects of the antidote. Sienna was first, she opened up her eyes, but she could not breathe. 

"Her heart restarted sure enough, but she can't breathe." the Doctor pressed down sharply, massaging her lungs into action. She went onto her side facing him, hacking furiously. He winced at the intensity, but was glad she was recovering. Tossing his scarf aside again, he put his hand on her back, giving her support until her fit finally stopped. She looked at him, unable to even speak. 

"Don't say anything," he knew that look. "I think we'll find you all another place to swim. In the meantime, I will take you to the hut the medic here has loaned us. First, I want to examine you." she rolled her eyes as he proceeded to measure her pulse, check her breathing and heart rate. 

"It's getting late," the Doctor realized, raking back his curly hair with his fingers. "I'll take you to the hut so you can rest up and get ready for tomorrow." he picked her up, draping her right arm around his shoulders as he left. The younger Doctor picked up Sarah, following him. 

They put the girls down on the two small mattresses on the floor, putting blankets over them. Sienna's eyes thanked them, then she moved her hands. 

"What on earth?" 

Her Doctor answered his older self. "She's speaking sign language. In my ninth life, I took it up." 

"What's she saying?" 

"She's saying, 'I wish I could bleedin' talk,' no need Sienna, I can understand you." 

"You two should go to bed as well. We will Sienna, we will very soon." she didn't seem to believe what her Doctor had said, but she closed her eyes and made one more sign. She put her hand to her mouth and drew it out in a curving motion. 

"What-" 

"It means 'thank you'." 

As soon as Sarah was breathing and her heart was pumping normally, she went to sleep, as did the two Doctors. 

****

*"What the devil?" Sienna realized she was back in the lake again. She remembered what had happened before and struck out for shore, seeking the Doctors and Sarah, to warn them about the creature. One attack was enough for a lifetime, she didn't want anyone else to suffer. 

Like before, her leg was gripped in an ice cold grip, she was yanked back underwater within a few seconds. She kicked and tried to free herself, but it was no use. She took in the grotesque appearance as she struggled, her brown hair floating into her eyes. She brushed it back with a swipe, aiming up at the surface. The creature didn't make any noise, she saw the rows of sharp teeth as it sank down into her left leg. Her pain was so intense, she screamed underwater. Sienna brought her fists down, pounding on the skull of the creature wildly. 

It looked annoyed, brushing her hands off with a stubby flipper. She took that moment to disengage herself, giving it an almighty pounding to let it up off of her leg, then shot to the surface. Coming up near the shoreline, she gasped and coughed, getting air back into her lungs. The poison set in, she could not feel her lower limbs at all. Within minutes, she could feel the poison slowly paralyzing her lungs, then her heart. 

"Sienna!" the blue eyed Doctor had managed to find her. Kneeling down to where she lay, he was horrified at the amount of blood she was losing. The Doctor barked for his other self to bring the first aid kit. Both tried to administer to her the best they could, but they could see it was futile. 

"It can't be helped," the older self proclaimed. "The poison is paralyzing her." 

Tears in his eyes, the Doctor cradled his companion in his arms as she managed to find enough strength left to peck him on the cheek. They watched her last moments, eyes closing, uttering her last breath, then her heart stopped. 

"Sienna?" he checked her pulse. "NO!" first Rose and now her. The Doctor broke down then, holding her body as if she was still alive. The blue eyed Doctor's eyes swam as well, but he controlled it.* 

The Doctor woke up, blue eyes bleary with sleep as he saw it was still dark outside. He heard one of the girls in the throes of a nightmare, so he crawled up to see who it was. Sienna's Doctor was asleep still, one hand clutching his sonic screwdriver like it was a teddy bear. Sarah slept on quietly, oblivious to her friend's distressing dream. The Doctor put his hand on Sienna's left shoulder, wondering what she was going on about. He then remembered the creature from the deep, Aqua, and the fact Sienna had nearly been killed trying to get away from it. 

"Sienna," he soothed, steadying her. "It's all right, I'm right here." 

"I'm dying." she said, still in the dream, but gradually fading out of it. 

"No you're not. Time to wake up now." the Doctor propped her up a bit, brushing her hair back from her face as she turned her head in his direction, a thin sheen of sweat covering her. 

"Wake up, Sienna." he used his deep voice to help her wake up fully. She latched on to his voice and became awake slowly, opening up her tired and dazed eyes to find him at her side. 

"Doctor," she said in a low voice, not disturbing the others. "Nightmare." 

He suppressed a grin, she was still in shock over it. "I know, you woke me up." 

"Sorry," she tested her voice. "I can talk again." 

The smile came out then, he was unable to stop it. "You've had a traumatic experience today, I'm not surprised you've had a nightmare. Do you think you can sleep now?" 

Her brow furrowed a little bit as she mulled his question over. "I doubt it, Doctor." a faint rustling sound was heard and another person came up to them. Sienna saw in the moonlight her Doctor had awakened and come over to her. 

"She had a nightmare." he answered without the other Doctor asking him. 

"You're still in shock over the whole thing, Sienna," his lively voice told her. "Why don't I hypnotize you?" 

"Oh, all right. Doctor, why don't you stay with me on this mattress? The floor's cold." she gripped her Doctor's hand. 

"OK, if you're comfortable with it. Doctor, you'll want to be with Sarah in case she has a nightmare as well." the other Doctor acknowledged that, then got beside Sarah on her mattress. The Doctor tucked himself in with Sienna, their brown eyes talking to each other wordlessly in the low moonlight. He put his fingers on her temples, she fell asleep silently. He cuddled her up close to him, knowing she wouldn't mind, then fell asleep himself.

Sarah slept on throughout the night, having no distressing dreams whatsoever. When the sun rose into the air, she checked the time on her Doctor's pocketwatch, slept for a few more hours, then got up. She was surprised to see the Doctor next to her on the mattress, but she did not wake him up. 

At about ten AM, Sienna woke up, seeing her Doctor snuggled up with her. She smiled down at him though he wasn't awake, then pecked him on the cheek like she usually did. Getting up without waking either of them up, she went outside, taking out her day's clothes and putting them on. Sarah wore a button up Hawaiian shirt with the tails tied in front, green shorts with matching sneakers. Sienna went for denim shorts, bright purple sport bra, then a loose button up dark blue top. She left some of the buttons undone so her cleavage was sticking out. Sarah watched as she added on a flower necklace and her favorite butterfly earrings. 

"Do you always wear low cut shirts like that?" she asked. 

"Always. If you got it, flaunt it. Maybe we can get into the rual areas today so I can sing and perform a little striptease in a titty bar." Sienna laughed at Sarah's expression. 

"Come on girl, I need to feel like men find me desirable still. I haven't been even looked at in that way since Giacomo." 

"Who?" Sarah asked, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger idly. 

"Giacomo Casanova. I'm not looking for a what you may call shagging, but I want a little...attention. A lady has needs, Sarah." 

"Your Doctor must have one heck of a time, keeping up with you." she remarked. 

"He likes adventure as much as I do. Besides, I'm older and wiser now. I can defend myself." 

"I have no doubt, like with the Daleks." 

"Ugly things with an inferiority complex. Anyway, the dancing would be great. Remember what I taught you, the samba?" 

"Yes." 

"Boys go wild for that, Sarah." 

"I bet they do." 

"You better believe it," she stood up. "Want to wait for the boys or go now?" 

"Sienna, let's not. I tell you what, let's go for a walk." Sienna's restless eye searched through her backpacks as she remembered something she'd packed, thinking it would be a great project. She pulled it out, sitting on the floor in the hut. Sarah heard a distant rumbling, then saw the clouds darkening, meaning a rainstorm. 

"What have you got then?" 

"A rainy day project, since it turns out that's what the weather is up to," Sienna pulled out a large rectangular case. "Jewelry making, Sarah." 

"Interesting. You make your own a lot or sometimes?"

"Sometimes. Look at this green necklace," she held it up. " I sometimes have to fix my creations, but that happens. I make them, then give them to friends as presents. Let me show you how to start up on this.." 

The beads chosen, Sarah began stringing up a necklace and Sienna worked on a faux pearl necklace. She thought it would look good with her white dress, she'd already made the earrings for it. Sarah chose red and blue to create her first necklace. A small thin wire served as the string, twice as durable, silver colored. Sarah's hands hurt before long, she had to pause for a moment and watch as Sienna dexterously worked away. Her nails were just long enough to pick up the smallest bead, string it on the wire, then go back for more. 

"How long have you done this?" 

Sienna attached a crimper bead, then took the crimper tool and flattened it, sealing the ends together to form a loop. " What?"

"How long have you been making jewelry?"

"Years," she picked up her pliers to attach jump rings and the clasp. "If I couldn't find the right jewelry in color, etc, I'd make my own. Cheaper too." 

"Wonderful." when she was ready, Sienna showed her how to attach the crimper beads, flatten them down, then attach jump rings and the clasp to her necklace. She put it on Sarah, admiring the effect. 

"Gorgeous, Sarah! It really works for you." she grinned. 

****

Both girls sat down on the mattresses, along with their Doctors. Sienna watched the thunderstorm with interest, the lightning forks zigzagging across the sky. Every time a thunder crash boomed, both girls jumped. 

"How do the Doctors sleep through this?" Sarah wondered. "Not like it's quiet here." 

"Time Lord arrogance?" Sienna teased, nudging her Doctor. "Let's try giving them a little kissy, eh?" 

"Really?" Sarah's eyes widened. She'd imagined smooching her Doctor a few times, but had never ventured to do it. 

"Why not?" they both lowered their faces over their Doctors, joining their lips together. The younger Doctor stirred a bit, while the older looking one did the same, his eyes opening a sliver. Sienna slid her hands under the Doctor's armpits, tickling him back to his senses. 

"Ah, finally woke up." she noted the other Doctor was awake as well. 

"With some persistence on your part, I can see." he grinned as she punched his arm playfully. The other Doctor sat up and ran a hand through his curls, giving Sarah's new necklace a glance. 

"You rarely wear jewelry, Sarah." 

She beamed with pride. "Yes! Sienna showed me how to make my own. Do you like it?" 

"It's very becoming." he gave her his toothy grin. 

Just then, a rattle was heard inside the hut in the next room. Sienna pulled out one of her guns, a flashlight, then peered around the corner. Nothing was there. She hustled back, putting on her gunbelts, suddenly uneasy. 

"What is it?" the blue eyed Doctor asked her. She shot him a look as she went to peer into the next room again. 

"Just got this bad feeling, is all." Sienna moved a bit slowly, her leg was giving her a bit of trouble after nearly being chewed off the previous day. Sarah made to follow her, but her Doctor held her back. 

"It's most likely nothing, Sarah." he told her. Sienna's Doctor knew that her gunbelt had small compartments for her cell phone, Leatherman tool, and her knockout lipstick she'd taken from his arsenal. Her cell was always on, after he'd fixed it so it wouldn't need recharging ever again. He checked to make sure he had his sonic screwdriver, then sat up on the mattress, waiting for her. 

Two minutes passed before a shrill cry pierced the blackness. Sarah, breaking free of her Doctor's hold, darted over to Sienna's rescue. A scream from her ensued, both Doctors jumped to attention, screaming out their companions' names. Before they could get see clearly at what had abducted them, a whistling sound was heard and both Doctors fell where they stood. A small dart was in each of their necks, a small feather standing straight up was still shaking after its flight. 

When the blue eyed Doctor opened up his eyes, he instinctively pulled out the dart, examining it carefully. He yanked out the identical one from his younger looking self, examining that as well. 

"Enough tranquilizer to knock out an elephant," he muttered. "Fortunately it takes more than that to knock out a Time Lord." his other self was awakening, putting a hand to his head and asking if the blue eyed Doctor had the same kind of headache throbbing behind his eyes. 

"Yes, I do. It's too late now to go out into that storm and look for them," he proclaimed. "We shall go out when it's sunny, the mud will have dried out and hold the footprints more firmly." 

"Right," Sienna's Doctor lay down again. "We shall have to sleep off these headaches as well." 

An hour later, both of the Doctors woke up to see that the sun was in the air, steam was gently waving off the surfaces where rain had fallen earlier. As if to say it was sorry for the abduction of Sarah and Sienna, the sky burst forth in a bright rainbow. The Doctors looked around outside, then found the girls' sneaker tracks and a bigger set, suggesting men's workboots. 

"Follow the trail, Doctor." the younger one trailed behind the older one, ready to lash out at the person who'd kidnapped their companions. 

"How do you handle Sienna?" trying to concentrate on not tripping over the long scarf, the younger Doctor shot his former self a blank look.

"What?"

"How do you handle Sienna?" 

His eyes narrowed in an attempt to understand what was being said. "In what way?"

"Well, in every way," the blue eyes stared into the brown ones. "She's rambunctious, loud, rebellious at times, quite impulsive too. You must have to rein her in sometimes." 

"She does a pretty good job of reigning herself in, actually," they climbed over a small rocky hill, watching their step and for the tracks in the mud. "Sienna knows with me when she's gone too far. She knows what she can and can't handle by herself." 

"Good. Sarah does disobey me sometimes, which gets her into trouble, but I wouldn't travel with anyone else." 

Visions of Romanas one and two, Leela, Adric, Tegan crossed his mind. Not saying anything, the conversation sank into silence as they crossed a river. 

"I say, that's pretty intricate stonework," the older Doctor trailed his fingers over it, admiring it openly. "What's that there?" 

The younger Doctor eyeballed it and took out his sonic screwdriver. He aimed it, pressed the button. The door opened, but only a few inches. The older Doctor took out his, and together they opened up the door using the combined power of their sonic screwdrivers. Keeping them out, they slunk along a path in a cavern, avoiding stalagmites. Rainwater idly dripped down onto them, in years to come they would be eroded down more.

"Just think. More rainwater comes in, in hundreds or millions of years to come, these will all be gone." the older Doctor announced, his voice echoing.

"There's no sneaker prints here." the younger Doctor wandered a little bit, wondering where Sienna and Sarah were. He entered a little room, finding two stone slabs with still figures.

"In here!" he shouted, seeing Sarah and Sienna bound down by wrist and ankle shackles so they were lying down. The girls were in their outfits the Doctors had seen them last in. What the younger Doctor found odd was that Sienna still had her gunbelt on. 

"If they were intended to do harm on, Sienna's gunbelt would have been stripped off of her." he wondered out loud, walking closer to them. Both Doctors saw that the girls had sensors attached to their temples. The eyes were open, but they were not seeing anything. The older Doctor put his hand over one of the sensors and ripped it off, doing the same to the other one. Sarah's eyes grew wide, she let out a terrified squeak, which her Doctor shushed her. Using his sonic screwdriver, he got her free of the shackles, helping her stand up. 

"What kind of device is this anyway?" Sienna's Doctor leaned over her, ripping off the sensors and eyeballing the two rectangular machines. He leaned down to see a computer printout of wavy lines. "It's a monitor that measures brain waves! I forget the abbreviation, something with an E in it. The question is, who would want to do this?" 

"The only people I knew who were slow and methodical like this were-" both Doctors' eyes met and they uttered the word in one breath. "Sontarans." 

"Not those things again!" Sarah kvetched. "After what they did to me last time, I'll knock their bloody heads together!" 

****

"I heard the stories," Sienna broke in, making everyone remember she wasn't around for the Sontarans and their experiments. "Come on and get out of here before we get zapped." 

"No, we need to destroy these machines." the younger Doctor aimed the sonic screwdriver and both machines chittered, but did not explode. Sienna huffed and pulled her Doctor aside, taking his place. 

"Stand aside everyone," she shot two bullets into the machines, making them catch fire and utter small explosions. "Let's get the hell out of here before this vacation becomes any worse." 

"Not so fast," a Sontaran came into view. "You earthlings are clever people, but you will stay so I can finish this experiment." 

"Oh, fuck you too," Sienna spat out, shooting him four times. "Go back to where you came from and tell your pansyass little militia to stay the hell away from our galaxy. I've had enough of you and your sort, always thinking you're the best until your little flotilla of attack ships is destroyed. Get bent." she went over and shot out all the communications equipment with disgust. 

"Sienna, time to go." she went away with a little grin, helped by her Doctor. Sarah was still limping after the attack by the plant, so was Sienna from the lake monster. They made steady progress until they were stopped by a fat local near their hut. 

"Where is the Sontaran?"

"Up there." the local went, ripping a big fart as he disappeared. Sienna and her Doctor looked at each other and began to laugh. Sarah and her Doctor were confused, but they went into their hut as the other two made to control themselves. 

"Slitheen," the Doctor guffawed. "I think that Sontaran, if it isn't dead, will have a hard time." 

"Slitheen," the other Doctor looked a little confused. "Don't tell me, I'll find out in time." 

"Right. In the meantime, let's enjoy this vacation, shall we?" 

Sarah and Sienna took walks, went swimming, entertained the locals with tales about far away places and mysterious people they met along the way. 

One day, while resting after a swim(they had found a different lake with no monsters in it), Sarah and Sienna were sunning themselves while the Doctors were in the water, taking a swim themselves. 

"Hey Sarah." 

"Yes, Sienna?" 

"What has been your favorite journey with the Doctor?" 

"Oh, hard to pick. They were all memorable. I guess it would have to be space station Nerva. Our friend Harry Sullivan had twisted the TARDIS regulator thing and we wound up on a supposedly abandoned station in deep space. We found out that the earth had been demolished due to solar flares and because of an intergalactic insect, the occupants had slept longer than they were supposed to. It had chewed out the power cables, so I was suffocated once. I went into a room with hardly any air and the door sealed shut. The next thing I knew, the Doctor and Harry were in the room, Harry was helping me wake up. He is a surgeon in the navy." she said with a bit of pride. 

"Interesting. What then?" 

"They went back to the TARDIS. Harry thought a bit of brandy would help me wake up all the way, but I hate the stuff! Anyway, we uncovered the entire of human knowledge on board that space station called the Ark. It's Nerva, but they nicknamed it the Ark. I managed to wind up amongst those in a cryogenic sleep. All in all, we got the bugs off the ship, rousted out a bit of the crew, then we went to test the transmat beams down to earth where we met the Sontarans. I was taken in and it experimented on me. I remember screaming, thinking snakes were going to bite me and I was about to be suffocated in quicksand. The Doctor saved me, he took the device off of me. I screamed and fainted, it was too much for me to handle." 

"I see. Well, let's sneak up on them." Sienna grinned wickedly as Sarah laughed. They both sank into the water, creeping up onto the two men, who were standing and talking idly. Sienna went up behind her Doctor, wrapped her arms around his waist, then dragged him down into the water with her. Sarah did likewise. Both girls swam away, hiding in a small cavern. The cave was right out in the open, but they had to duck underwater and swim into it. Sarah and Sienna sat on the rock outcrop, listening to the Doctors talk. 

"Where did they go?" 

"I have no idea." they heard a few sounds and knew the Doctors were sitting on the cavern up top. Sienna ducked underwater, then came up in front of them, shouting to grab their attention. They sat down with their Doctors, then went back to spend one more night in the hut before they left the next day. 

"Doctor, our TARDIS hasn't shown up yet. K9 should be piloting it or something, shouldn't he?" Sienna asked her Doctor as they were settling in for the night. He wrapped his arm around her waist and smiled. 

"K9's batteries ran out. The Daleks attached some sort of randomizer on the old girl and sent it bouncing around space and time." 

"But we came by transmat beam to Skaro." 

"I know. One of the dog slaves went to our TARDIS because it saw the readout of where we were. The old girl will show up, have faith." 

"Well, I'm enjoying our time with the Doctor and Sarah," she admitted. "It's hard to figure you out Doctor, in any form." 

"I'm the enigma, eh? The other Doctor admitted that much to me about you. He asked me how I handle you." 

"Handle? Does he think I'm a dog that needs watching?" 

"No. Every companion is different, Sienna. Remember that. You're one of a kind. I told him you know your strengths and weaknesses, when to quit, etc. I don't handle you, I let you have your freedom. You know when to get me involved, etcetera." 

"Good. Good night, Doctor." 

"Good night, Sienna." 

The night was uneventful. In the morning, they packed up and headed to the TARDIS. The older Doctor insisted on taking a look at Sienna and Sarah's wounds, so they reluctantly went down to the medbay to have him examine them. Sarah's puncture mark caused by the venomous thorn was already mostly healed, it could be left unbandaged now. Sienna let him undo the bandages, most of them didn't need any more bandaging. The few deep cuts he spread a salve on them to help them heal, then bandaged them back up. 

"Free to go, Sienna." he gave her his toothy grin. She smiled back, hopping off the exam cot and going out into the main corridor. Sienna changed into her loungewear, a pair of white track pants with red racing stripes down the sides, a sleeveless red shirt, and her dog flip flops. 

In the console room, the Doctor perked up his head at the strange sound he heard. Sienna's Doctor and Sarah were off elsewhere in the ship. He looked at Sienna, who was sitting and reading in a corner of the room. He flipped down the dimensional stabilizer, making the TARDIS churn and wheeze. 

"What is that sound?" she perked up her ears, fumbled in her pocket, then brought out her cell phone. 

"Blackman," she spoke. "Have you? That's weird. Sure, I can come to investigate. Yeah, I can. Tomorrow after lunch I can be there." 

She rang off, looking at the Doctor 

"Where are we headed?" 

"Rock Island, Maine, year 2007. Time shall be one PM, July 1st." 

"May I inquire about your call, there?" he plugged in the coordinates. 

"You may," she stood up and watched him, beside him. "My friend, Ruby, is a real estate agent. There's an old Victorian mansion that nobody will buy and she wants me to help her sell it." 

"You do real estate?" 

"Not as such. Allow me to clarify," she gave him a half grin, seeing the confused look. "I know you don't believe in ghosts, Doctor. I nearly went through hell trying to get your eighth incarnation's mind more open in that respect. Anyway, the mansion is haunted and she wants me to get rid of the ghosts. I can do it," she added. " I have done it before." 

"I do not doubt your skill, Sienna. I rather doubt the whole of the ghost business. I heard some so called psychics are fake." 

"Some of them are, Doctor." 

"It's not my place to judge, Sienna. I don't want to see you get yourself hurt." he flicked a switch. 

"It's all right. I have faith and that will take the force out of any malevolent spirits." 

"Faith as in..?" 

She smiled. "In Sarah's and my Lord and Savior, Jesus and his father, God. Like you might have faith in your beloved Rassilon." 

He matched the smile. "So be it. Ready for another adventure, are we?"

Sienna laughed, hers mingling with his. "Always, Doctor! Always!"


	12. VIctorian Mansion

Old Victorian Mansion

4/10/Sienna/Sarah

Action/Adventure/Drama

AN: Same thing, older Doctor is the fourth, younger looking is the tenth

"What the hell was that, Doctor?" Sarah clutched at the TARDIS console as the ship bucked like a bronco at a rodeo. Sienna squawked, caught off guard, slamming into the older Doctor.

"Cushy landing," she giggled as she got up as the ship swayed again. "Hit the dimensional stabilizer, make her quiet again!" 

The younger looking Doctor bounced into the room with seemingly endless energy as he went to the console and flipped the switch, making the TARDIS quiet down and resume the normal course for Earth. Sienna got up, giving the older Doctor a hand. 

"Where are we going?" Sarah asked, looking at the readout. Sienna's Doctor examined it carefully.

"Earth, July 1st, 2007 in Maine," he read out. "Sienna, is there something you're not telling me?" 

"I got a call from my friend Ruby Harrison, Doctor. She wants me to investigate a house she wants to sell, but nobody will take it because of supposed hauntings. There are no investigator groups and such where the house is, so she called me." 

"After what you put my eighth self through, I'm disinclined to argue with you again." his brown eyes locked onto hers. Sienna gave him a small smile and watched as the other Doctor flipped on the vortex loop and then adjusted various controls. Sarah looked at Sienna, who gave her a wink. 

"We'll give these guys a run for their money, right, Sarah? I can tell you're open minded about the whole thing." 

"I am." she admitted.

"Well, let me show you some of my ghost story books I pulled out of the library. I've had some experience and it's mostly mundane, believe it or not." 

"We'll give these two old fogies a real run for the money!" Sarah enthused, both trotted from the room. 

"We're not that old!" both Doctors shouted after them.

"Oh yes you are!" they both called back, breaking off in a hearty laugh.

"Those girls," the blue eyed Doctor huffed. "Sienna speaks of your eighth self and what happened to you both. Will you tell me?" 

"Ohhh," the Doctor drawled, flipping switches. "I don't see why not, you'll probably forget. We landed on a planet going through an ice age, Sienna went to explore by herself, went into a cave, fell into a vast chamber. It wasn't until I found her that we both discovered that the spirit of a little girl was down there and wanting her mother. She and I persuaded the child to go into the light, thus she would find her mother on the other side." 

"An experience," the other Doctor allowed. "Any advice you would give me?" 

"An open mind. Sienna told me that an open mind would help to open all doors once." 

"Noted." they both stared at the time rotor columns churning away with the familiar wheezing sound. 

In the library, Sienna and Sarah both curled up with their books. Sienna's personal favorite, Real Ghosts, Restless Spirits, and Haunted Places, while Sarah read Scary Stories I. 

"This is outrageous," Sarah commented, turning the page. "I had no idea that these were derived from true stories." 

Sienna smirked. "Most people say that. I hope to God that place doesn't need an exorcism. I'm not a Catholic priest so I can't do it. Anyway, I think this will open your mind up farther than you can imagine." 

"More than aliens, Daleks, Cybermen, or that what was it? Slitheen?" Sarah teased. "My mind would be as vastly open as the moon." 

"Very good, Sarah." the two faded into silence as they became engrossed in their books. Sienna sat in the leather couch, an end table with a lamp on it was alight, letting her see the page. Sarah was in the wingback chair, feet on the ottoman. The fireplace was dark, neither had felt cold, so the fireplace went unused. The library was elegant, mahogany wood paneling everywhere, the color scheme was crimson red. On the mantelpiece, a painting of a farmhouse, barn, and adjacent pasture hung majestically. The dark gilded frame matched the wood paneling perfectly. The floor had a few throw rugs, crimson rosebuds, stems, and green leaves were woven in a neat design. 

Two hours later, Sienna got up and stretched, roused from her reading by her aching muscles. Sarah rose as well, then glanced at the time. 

"Eleven at night! We must head to bed now, Sienna." she exclaimed. 

"I guess so. Let me get my things in gear for tomorrow's landing though. So I don't put it off until the last minute and get rushed. When I get rushed, I make dumb mistakes." Sienna pulled out her gunbelts, then decided she wouldn't need them. Her cell phone and Leatherman tool were laid on top of her outfit she had assembled for the following day. Sarah went into bed after changing, but Sienna stripped down to her knickers and went to bed that way. Sometimes she wore pajamas, often times, she liked to go to bed with as little on as possible.

"Time for bed." the brown eyed Doctor yawned. Putting away his sonic screwdriver, he got up, stretched, then went to check on the girls. Sarah was asleep, as was Sienna. The older Doctor brushed aside her, causing the cover to fall aside, revealing Sienna's naked arm and some of her chest. The blanket was as far down as it could go without revealing her actual nakedness. 

"Oops," he blushed. " Does she usually sleep naked?" the Doctor pulled up the blanket. Sienna did not stir, she slept on, oblivious to the Doctors around her. The younger Doctor came over in time to see the section of naked flesh be concealed again by the blanket. He smiled fondly down at his companion. 

"I wouldn't know." was all he said. 

"Right. Did you and she...ever, well..." 

"Get intimate?" he supplied, turning into his bedroom. The older Doctor flung his scarf onto a hook, taking off his hat as well. 

"Well, yes." 

"Once. I didn't know her back then, she was with my eighth self. It was my idea, I just wanted to find out if a girl would still like me after what happened to my companion Rose. Sienna let me shag her, but we talked it out later on and decided we'd be better off not doing that again." he loosened up his tie and took off his blazer. The older Doctor sat on the edge of the bed, ready to hear more and to ask more questions.

"But surely, she must have had some urges to-"

"Not to me, no," he buttoned up his pajama top. "Part of her birthday present was to go to Giacomo Casanova's hometown and she got shagged by him." 

"Really. Did she tell you her plan and you went along with it?"

"No. I set the coordinates and she disappeared into Venice without another word. When she came back, she had a look in her eyes that I'd never seen before. I knew that only meant she'd gotten her....need satisfied." 

"I can imagine. Well, off to bed so we can go get scared tomorrow." the Doctor stood up. 

"I don't think you'll be scared much, but you will learn a lot. This is Sienna's turf now, not ours. It's our turn to listen." he climbed under the covers. 

"Righto." 

The four slept on through the night, the TARDIS's lights were all off to help them sleep. The older Doctor did tend to snore a bit, while the rest did not. Sienna and the other two slept easily, but a vague unsettling feeling began to settle over the atmosphere of the TARDIS. 

As if to dispell that, the TARDIS chugged along almost quietly, wanting her occupants to get as much rest as possible. 

****

"Sienna," her eyes opened to see the older Doctor looking down at her. "It's time to get ready to leave. Have you got your things together?"

She smiled and sat up, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. "Yes I have, Doctor. I got it all together last night to avoid rush and confusion that will happen today if I had forgotten." keeping the blanket over her, she watched as the Doctor watched her. 

"What?" 

"Are you going to get up?" 

Sienna laughed. The Doctor noticed she had a small star shaped mole on one of her shoulders. "Doctor, I slept in the buff last night. You want me to expose myself to you?" he colored red, muttered an apology, then left the room. Sienna only smiled and dressed herself, clipping on her cell phone and Leatherman tool to her belt. Taking random clothing from her closet, she chose blue jeans, ankle boots, a white button up shirt, and a red camisole top she wore underneath. The sleeves were rolled up, the shirt unbuttoned. Sienna affixed her watch, her crucifix pendant, and picked up her powerful utility flashlight she clipped onto her belt as well. 

The belt was black with small silver colored holes punched into it, the clasp was silver colored as well. Sienna shoved two extra batteries in her pocket, then went into the hallway, her heels making a small clacking sound. She liked the heels, an inch and a half thick with a wide heel so she wouldn't fall down easily. 

Sarah had on blue jeans as well, sneakers, a yellow t-shirt with pink vest on. The Doctors had on their usual attire: pinstripe brown suit with overcoat, his canvas sneakers, and for the other, his red peacoat, multicolor scarf, brown fedora hat. All of them held duffel bags, holding a change of clothes, sleepwear, and toiletries. 

"All ready, I see," the brown eyed Doctor eyed his companion with an approving grin. "I rather like that shirt on you." 

"Thanks," she returned his grin. " When I'm hunting at night, the white will help you see me better." 

"What about your necklace ther?" the older Doctor asked. 

"This is the symbol of my faith, Doctor. Any spirit who is unsure will see this and know I'm a good Christian lady. They say it helps prove your sincerity." 

"Whatever helps," Sarah smiled. " Lead the way!" 

"Of course. Ruby's got the rental car with directions around the corner for us." Sienna watched as the Doctor locked the TARDIS, then they rounded the bend. A Ford Mustang sat in the parking lot, red colored.

"Ah, a Mustang," Sienna opened up the door and they piled in. "The key.... " she thought for a moment and flipped down the visor. A key fell out, along with another one. 

"Key for the car, then the house," she muttered. "Directions....." Sarah and the older Doctor in the back, the younger one up front, eyed each other with a hint of humor in them. When Sienna was excited, she would tend to forget things. 

"Ah!" she exclaimed. "Presto!" she pressed a button, then a navigator screen popped up. Sienna pressed another button and the screen came to life. 

"Hey Sienna," a recorded voice sounded. "I programmed the nav system with your destination. You're welcome, and I owe you one for this." 

"Nav system?" the blue eyed Doctor asked. 

"There's a small computer in this car, Doctor. It's programmed for navigation and one can easily input destinations. It's like the TARDIS nav system." she put the key in the ignition, told everyone to fasten their seatbelts, then they were off. 

Half an hour later, Sienna was driving the back roads. The older Doctor and Sarah eyed the Mustang, seeing all the gadgets and gizmos. Sarah could identify a radio, the clock, and the automatic transmission by the sounds. 

"What is this?" the Doctor found a handle in the ceiling. Sienna glanced in the rearview mirror.

"We call that an 'oh shit' handle," she giggled, making a turn up a long driveway. "Hairpin turns, you yell out 'oh shit', then grab onto that for dear life." her Doctor rolled his eyes as a few minutes later, they drove up to a brick mansion. They disembarked the car, slamming the doors shut. Sienna used the remote lock to tell the car to lock up. The older Doctor watched her, blue eyes questioning. 

"What is that?" 

"It's a remote lock, Doctor. Quite interesting, actually." she playfully mocked him, unlocking the door with the key. 

"Yes. This remote locking device has been programmed to use a set of ten algorithims to unlock the door. Each press of the button unleashes a string of digits that the lock reciever will recognize and open up the doors." the brown eyed Doctor remarked, entering the house. A smell of dust and worn leather hit them as they shut the door behind them.

"Why ten algorithims, Doctor?" Sarah asked. 

"In case someone steals the remote lock," her Doctor took up. "One would click two or three times then give up. It varies with each car." 

"Oh, I get it now.Variables." Sarah looked with amazement at the front hall of the house, a big staircase led up to the second floor with colorful murals hanging on the walls. Two tall marble pillars stood proudly on either side of the staircase, dark bits were feathered into the white, giving it an aged look. The floor was tan tile with a purple throw rug extending to the bottom of the stairs. 

"Gorgeous!" Sienna exclaimed, her voice echoing off the vast ceiling. "Simply wonderful!" the banisters were fashioned and stained a dark walnut color, hand carved balstrades were in the shape of a blossoming rose. Stained glass windows were three in a row on either side of the door. 

"This house was fashioned entirely of oak and pine," the brown eyed Doctor rapped on the pillar, then noticed the room off to the left. "Must be the library." a note was on the door. Sarah walked over and pulled it off.

"Sienna, the rooms are being renovated so the place can be sold," she read aloud. "All the supplies are in the kitchen For makeshift beds, you can use the chaise lounges in the room adjacent to the library. I hope you and your friends have a good time and I wish you success. Your pal, Ruby Harrison." 

"She's a good friend to me," Sienna opened up the door and saw the library, books on shelves, even bigger than the TARDIS library. A full sized pool table, the balls in the triangle formation, the cuesticks were hanging on racks in the wall. Two armchairs and a leather couch sat in the room, one was a recliner, one had a matching ottoman. The leather couch was dark brown, both armchairs were bottle green. A fireplace with a pine mantel sat at one end, above it hung a small tapestry with a brown and green abstract design. 

"Well, it matches." the Doctor sat down, putting his canvas sneakers up on the ottoman. The other Doctor eyed the small oak desk with a wooden roller chair, seeing books about the house. Sienna dusted off the cover of one, looking at it carefully.

"The History Of Pendleton Hall," she read aloud. "Well, this'll be a good read tonight before I ghost hunt. This may take a few days. I need to experience what's going on tonight, then formulate a plan tomorrow." 

"That makes sense," the Doctors allowed, in a single voice. "I think we should eat something first, then go exploring." the older one announced, an idea that was enthusiasctically agreed to. After they had a late lunch, they split up, boys on one floor, girls on another. Sarah and Sienna explored the bedrooms. All were in various stages of renovation, the rotting walls were starting to be chopped away and replaced with pine. A few broom closets, a stairway to the attic, nothing more. 

"There's got to be secret passageways here," Sarah rapped on the walls. "Nice molding on this one." 

"Come on Sarah, there's more chances of that downstairs. What time is it?" she looked at her watch as they descended the staircase. "Almost nine PM!" 

"Time flies." 

"Especially the way the Doctors travel, you know," Sienna opened the door to the library. "Though the way they get long winded about stuff you don't understand, you wish time would go faster!" they cracked up, going into the adjacent room where the chaise lounges were. Each one had a pillow and some blankets on it. Sienna and Sarah claimed theirs, Sarah on the end, her Doctor, Sienna, then the younger Doctor. 

"When do the spirits come out?" 

"Usually around 11 PM or midnight to about...3-4 AM. We've got some time to ourselves." Sienna pillowed her head on her hands, stretching out lazily. 

"Is it chilly in here?" Sarah rubbed her arms, glancing around. 

"Nah. I'm hot blooded. You can start a fire if you like." she closed her eyes. Sarah put in a few logs of pine, one of birch, then found a box of matches in a cleverly concealed cabinet on the mantle. The cabinet was part of a wooden molding design with a small knob in the center. Sarah struck the long handled match a few times until a fire ignited. She tossed it in, lighting the logs, then put the fire screen in to protect them. A long iron poker, a dustbin which had ash and dust in it, sat nearby. The fireplace had a tiled surrounding, raised up about two inches up off the rest of the hardwood floor. 

"Much better." Sarah held out her hands and after a moment, rubbed them together, resuming her position on her chaise lounge. Sienna murmured her contentment, taking off her ankle boots. Her duffel bag and Sarah's were stashed under the lounges, the same with the Doctors'. The girls arranged their lounges to their liking and gossiped for awhile. The Doctors came in at ten PM, hanging up their blazer, peacoat, and scarf. 

"I wonder what the hauntings really are about." the blue eyed Doctor looked at Sienna. Her eyelids were falling down slowly, eyes transfixed on the bright flames. 

"Staring at fire will make you sleepy," her Doctor noticed. "Are you sleepy, Sienna?" 

"I'm getting there," she admitted. "It's almost as hypnotizing as one of those trances you put me in, Doctor." 

"This house is so lovely," Sarah was in her makeshift bed. "Hard to believe that anything awful happened here to facilitate a haunting." 

"It doesn't have to," Sienna's eyes were closed now, but she was still very much awake. "It is quite possible that a past owner could have wished to take this house with him in death, thus far his spirit came back here and will never leave. He may want to drive people out, still considering that the place is his. He may also not even know he's dead. That happens." 

"How exactly would that happen?" the younger Doctor inquired. 

"You should know, Doctor. Either of you. What's death like?" 

"Falling asleep." they offered. 

"Exactly. Then the spirit separates from the body, an angel may come and take them to the higher plane of existance. But there are occasions where a person does wake up, not realizing that they are dead(because when you wake up, you never look down to make sure you're in your body, right?), and just hangs around." 

"Complicated." 

"Yes, Doctor, it is." Sienna went to change, then came back, wearing a white nightgown that swept the floor, it was so long. 

"Well, someone looks like an angel tonight," her Doctor commented. "Good night, Sienna." the other Doctor wished her a good night as she echoed them, then covered herself up with a blanket, falling asleep fast. Sarah was already asleep, and the Doctors joined them half an hour later.

****

" Sienna!" the younger Doctor cried out, dashing through the hedge pathways in the garden to where the figure in white was lying. A stone fountain behind her depicted a cherub with a stone jug pouring water out into the circular pool around it. Sienna lay beside, her eyes open but unseeing. The Doctor reached her, propping up her head and checking for a pulse. Sarah and the older looking Doctor caught up with him, looking solemnly at their friend's body. Sienna looked as though she'd just fought a battle-her stomach was red in a horizontal slash, she had numerous red slashes on her arms, though they were small. A bloody cut under her left eye, and a bloody gash over her heart caused the Doctor to wince and turn away. 

"Doctor?" Sarah ventured. "Is she.." 

The Doctor's brown eyes clouded over in shock as he picked up her body, drawing her eyes closed. 

"She's dead, Sarah," he said in a low voice. "She died fighting whatever that thing was." 

"Oh no." they numbly followed him into the house where he put her on a long bench in the front hall. 

"I'm sorry," the blue eyed Doctor told his future incarnation. "She was a lovely lady." 

Jamming his hands in his pockets, he stared at his companion's body. "Don't be. Nearly everyone I travel with has died. I tried to condition myself to accept the fact and move on, but it always hurts." Sarah gave him a hug. 

"That's human life. It is unfortunate she cannot regenerate like we can. That's the harmony of life, I guess." the older Doctor looked uncertain, a rarity for him. 

"Harmony..." he took a hand out of a pocket and rubbed his chin, thinking, wondering why that word was so familiar to him. 

"Harmony......" 

"Doctor?" Sarah asked hesitantly. He raked his fingers through his straight brown hair, making it all stand up. Images flooded back to him. 

A redhead lady flying through the air and landing with a sickening thump. 

Himself in a previous incarnation taking her body and another up to the stairs in the cloister room.

A golden mist settling over the bodies. 

"That's it!" he jumped, pulling the body into his arms, he dashed out and into the older Doctor's TARDIS. "Sarah, I'm going to need you!" she looked at her Doctor, who shrugged, she followed him. They both watched as he hustled Sienna's body into the cloister room, the one room the TARDIS had never changed through all his incarnations. He went up the steps, put her body down, then went to the Eye Of Harmony, pulling out one of the heavy pillars. A circle of blue light emanated from the hole that had the shape of an eye around it. 

"I know you can do it, old girl," he said to the TARDIS. "I've seen it before. Sarah, look into the eye." she drew her hair back and looked in, wondering what he could be on about. With a loud rumble, the Eye Of Harmony opened up. He went to the body, kneeling beside it as the eye belched forth the golden mist, which settled on Sienna's body. 

"Doctor?" 

"Not now, Sarah." he watched as Sienna's body glowed. After a moment, she uttered a gasp, then started to cough for a second. He helped her up, ecstatic that the TARDIS had given her a second chance. 

"Oh sweet Rassilon," the other Doctor gaped. "The Eye of Harmony revived her life? She's alive!" he drew back her brown hair to see her clear brown eyes watching them. 

"I knew it!" she spoke in a croak, then cleared her voice. "I knew something wasn't right. It was not my time, I kept hearing that over and over again." he put her down on a chair in the library. The Doctor was grinning though tears were flooding his deep brown eyes. Sarah and her Doctor chose to give them privacy, shutting the door and walking away. 

"Doctor, I'm OK now. Don't hold it back, just let it out." she was very perceptive. 

"All right. You died, Sienna. I thought I lost you forever like I did Rose," he swiped at his eyes but the grin never left his face. "Then I remembered my eighth incarnation and how the Eye of Harmony via the TARDIS restored them to life. I told you my ship has a soul of her own." 

"That's right, like you'd told me before." she opened up her arms and took him into a hug, allowing him to shed noiseless tears as he expressed his relief at seeing her back alive. Sienna stroked his hair, rocking him back and forth like her adopted mother did to her so long ago. When he finally wound down, she guided him to the bedroom, pausing a moment to change her clothes. 

"You should rest, Sienna." she smirked. 

"I feel fine, Doctor. You go to bed." she lay down next to him as he relaxed and dozed off. After an hour, she went into the console room to be with the others. Sarah welcomed her with a big hug and the killer smile she possessed. 

"Welcome back, Sienna," the older Doctor flipped a switch. "I'm very glad you've been restored to us." 

"I'm happy to be back, Doctor." she flashed her grin, making him smile.

The brown eyed Doctor woke up after that dream. He glanced at his pocket watch, seeing it was midnight. Everyone else was sound asleep when a sudden thump in the library made him perk up his ears. 

I wonder what that is, he thought to himself. Better go check it out, just to make sure. He got up and walked into the library, finding a book that had fallen off the rather narrow mantelpiece. The Doctor replaced it, making sure it would not fall again. Rejoining the others, he lay back down in bed, but found that he could not sleep. Sienna and Sarah both were on their sides, looking to the left as in the middle of them, the older Doctor snored away. The younger Doctor rubbed his temples, willing himself to sleep. 

A few moments later with no success, the Doctor jumped as a tremendous crash woke them up. Sienna immediately put on her flip flops, robe, and began to investigate. Sarah followed her as the two Doctors stayed behind. 

"You were snoring," the younger informed the elder. "Sarah still has her own room, so she can escape it. I wonder how I'll cope." 

"Well, that's me." was all the older could say. The two of them lay on their beds as the girls tracked down the source of the sound. 

In the living room in front of the library, Sienna knelt down to examine a rip in the couch while Sarah looked elsewhere. There was nothing obvious to them that could have caused such a crash, even a close exam of everything turned up nothing. Sienna looked up at a medium sized chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the hundreds of tiny crystals slightly moving. Sienna frowned and took a second look, moving right underneath the chandelier. 

"What is it, Sienna?" Sarah joined her. 

"There's no breeze in here, Sarah, no draft. So why are those crystals moving?" her brown eyes intensely concentrated, opening up her mind to the possibilities as Sarah stared. After a long moment, Sienna began to see a whitish mist forming as Sarah saw a multicolored large orb move from the chandelier to a door. 

"I saw a round-"

"Orb, Sarah. People believe they can be vehicles for a soul. I've seen photos where they're all kinds of different colors and some have expressions on them." Sienna extended her left hand and watched as the mist seemed to meet her hand. It went through Sienna's, making her cold. Sarah shivered as well, keeping her eyes on the chandelier. The white mist circled the chandelier, seemingly unsure of itself. 

"We want to help you." Sarah tried. 

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, what do you want?" Sienna asked, never taking her eyes off the mist. It jumped, then began to drift down to the floor. A moment later, the form had made itself human enough for both girls to see the person's features clearly. 

It was a young man, in his late teen years. The eyes were blue, blonde hair, dressed in breeches, tan coat, tan vest, with a black string tie around the collar of his white shirt. He wore a newsboy hat and brown lace up shoes. 

Sarah remembered that Sienna had told her not to utter a word if they came face to face with a spirit. Closing her mouth, she watched in wonderment as the boy ghost drifted towards Sienna, not stopping when he reached her. She closed her eyes, keeping her mind open as possible. The boy went through her, vanishing in a puff of white mist. In that split second, the boy had communicated with his mind what he wanted Sienna to do. Opening up her eyes, she went to the door that the orb had drifted to a few moments ago, and opened it. 

"Doctors, you better come and see this." Sarah called. Sienna walked into the doorway, entering a small courtyard. Both Doctors caught up with Sarah, hanging back a few feet from Sienna. Striding about 20 feet away from the doorway, into the shadows, Sienna had reached her destination. When the rest joined her, they saw she was removing a very old wooden plank from a slot in a door. The older Doctor shone his flashlight over the entrance, seeing it was built out of cement with some crest painted on the door. The paint was old and chipping off, but the Doctors recognized it as a crest of some sort. Sienna put the plank aside, taking the large flat door handle, jerking it to the left, then pushing in. 

The smell of musty stale air rushed at them. Sarah wrinkled her nose in disgust as Sienna, taking no heed of the smell or anyone else around her, began to descend a flight of stone stairs. Following her, the Doctors noticed stands in the walls, places for torches if they had them. The flight curved to the right, Sienna finished the stairs and walked to the center of a large room. 

"Sienna?" her Doctor looked into her face and shuddered. Sienna's face was completely blank, her eyes had a vacant stare in them.

Overhead, the skeletons of dead bats hung from the walls, their bodies still held together with bits of flesh still on them. The older Doctor found a light switch and flicked it on. It took a moment, but the place lit up in dim amber light. Sarah gasped, eyes wide open with fear as her Doctor stood behind her. 

"It's a crypt," the younger Doctor declared. "Generations of the Pendleton family interred together in here." along all the walls were rows of coffins, most had spiderwebs woven into them, a fair amount of them had rotted through, showing bits of bone and decaying flesh. The rows started from the bottom to the very top of the crypt, about ten feet up. 

Sienna moved forward a few steps as three pairs of eyes watched her carefully. Before their eyes, a white mist began to separate itself from Sienna's body. Slowly, it levitated towards the rows and vanished into the wall. A departing orb flashed in front of Sienna, who stood in a stupor for a full minute. 

"Sienna?" her Doctor asked again. Sienna turned to meet him face to face. The blank expression diminished as she gasped, her knees buckling. The younger Doctor held her up as she put her hands on his arms, bracing herself. Sienna's eyes blinked and she looked around, wild eyed at their surroundings. After a second, she regained control of her legs and stood up as Sarah and the older Doctor moved towards her. 

"You all right?" the younger one asked her. "What the devil happened to you?" 

"Yes, please enlighten us." the older one echoed. Sienna raked her hand through her brown hair, motioning toward the stairs.

"Why are we down here?"

"You led us down here." her Doctor took her hand and led her up the stairs. Once they were out, Sarah relatched the door and all walked back into the sitting room behind the library. 

"I led you down there?"

Her Doctor sat on her bed with her, while the older Doctor and Sarah sat on his bed. The younger one took his sonic screwdriver and aimed it into her eyes, giving her an impromptu examination. When he finished, they all told her how she had led them to the Pendleton family crypt. Sienna's brown eyes lit up. 

"I knew it!" she exclaimed when they were done. "That boy ghost possessed me! The last thing I remember was a promise that he wouldn't hurt my body, he just took control for a few minutes." 

"But why go down to a crypt?" Sarah wondered. "To make sure his family was there?" 

"That is most likely, Sarah," Sienna answered. "Doctor, is my skin cold and wet?" she extended a shaking hand to her Doctor who nodded in the affirmative. 

"Oh boy," she muttered. "Spirit possessions take a lot out of the person, burning up all that energy to complete one last thing. I'm on the verge of collapse now-augh!" she fell into her Doctor's lap as her body sent her a painful reminder of what she'd been through. 

"What is going on?" the older Doctor inquired, eyes darkening in concern for Sienna. 

"Got to-fight it," she gasped, hyperventilating through her pain. "You guys may think that.....that this is it....but I saw something down there in that crypt...."

"What?" Sarah encouraged her. "What did you see?"

"Something...nasty w-will happen.....there is...a malicious spirit...here.....it-it-it knows we're here and it will strike..." 

"When?" her Doctor prompted. 

"Sometime...soon.....very soon. Augh!" another wave of pain rocked her body as the Doctor fought to keep her from falling off her bed. 

"I need....book from the library...." 

"Which one?" the older Doctor demanded. 

Sienna's eyelids began to close. "Latin. Need Latin book for spells...." 

"Spells? You're not making sense, Sienna." he furrowed his brow, trying to understand. 

"This is ghosts here, Sienna, not witchcraft." Sarah proclaimed, watching her friend, face drawn in pain. Her Doctor thought it wasn't best to engage her in an explanation while she was so weak. Sienna's eyes closed and she blacked out as the others went to their beds. 

"What happened to her?" Sarah made a mental note to check the library in the morning. The younger Doctor was putting a blanket over Sienna, he looked up and saw Sarah looking at him as she slipped off her shoes. 

"Sarah, she was possessed by an entity that burned up all her energy," the blue eyed Doctor was already snug in bed, his eyes closed. "She stayed awake long enough to tell us that something was going to happen very soon." 

"When she forced herself to stay awake, her body didn't like it and sent pain coursing through her body," the younger Doctor got into bed himself. "With all her resistance gone, she had no choice but to pass out and rebuild her energy while she sleeps." 

"Like staying awake too long," Sarah closed her eyes. "Tomorrow, I'll find that Latin book she wants. I hope she'll be all right by then." 

"She will be fine," the brown eyed Doctor reassured her. "We'll let her sleep in as long as she needs." 

****

The foursome slept until 11 AM, where Sarah got up first, followed by the two Doctors. They did their morning routines, opting to keep Sienna asleep as long as possible. Sarah looked in the library for the book of Latin that Sienna had requested last night. 

At 2 PM, the trio were playing pool in the library when the older Doctor looked up and saw Sienna, her hair wet, dressed for the day, watching them in the doorway. She smiled and came forward, taking the book that Sarah had put out and sat at the desk. 

"Up for the day are we?" her Doctor went to her and appraised her with his eyes. Sienna wore a simple purple off the shoulder top with a matching purple skirt, her crucifix necklace around her neck. Her earrings were little hearts with rhinestones in them, she wore her favorite sneakers. Aside, she showed no ill effects from what had befallen her the night before. Sienna smiled at him as she flipped to the table of contents page in the book. 

"Yes I am, Doctor, how observant you are today," she mocked him playfully. "Aha! This is just what we shall need." 

"What is it you need from that book?" the older Doctor hung up his cue and sat in one of the chairs by the fireplace. Sarah joined Sienna, looking over her shoulder as she browsed through the pages. 

"This chapter right here is what I need. It's a spellbook, Doctor." 

"Spells? This isn't witchcraft, it's ghosts." her Doctor joined his incarnation by the fireplace. Sienna drew up an ottoman and joined them, echoed by Sarah. 

"The two have been known to go hand in hand, Doctor," she answered him. " But, these spells of protection are for the living, protecting them from malicious entities. Either written or spoken, they must be obeyed." 

"I thought all you needed was your faith." the Doctor flicked his scarf over his shoulder. 

"When dealing with entities like this, a little extra help goes a long way." she retorted. 

"How are you feeling?" Sarah questioned. Sienna gave her an appreciative smile. 

"Like my old self, Sarah. Just had to regenerate my energy, that's all." the girls conversed together on Latin as the two Doctors talked. 

"Her last night...reminds me of my regeneration. My last one." the Doctor struck a match and kindled a fire in the fireplace. 

"Do tell." 

"After my body regenerated, I had to lie comatose for several hours. The problem was my regenerative energy was so powerful, a species of alien could smell it and they zeroed in on me. I had to rise once from bed, to save people from an attacking Christmas tree. Because my body internally was still regenerating, I was in extreme pain and blacked out again. Her lying there last night and in such pain she was hyperventilating, reminded me of my last regeneration." he stared into the fire for a moment. The older Doctor appraised him with his keen blue eyes and inclined his head slightly.

"True. This past regeneration, I had to lie in a self induced coma for almost a day before I could be up and about." 

"Part of the curse of being a Time Lord." 

"It does at times appear to be a curse, yes," his former self agreed. "But look at what we have, two companions that we both adore and care for deeply. Sarah, Sienna, our TARDIS, and a whole universe to explore at our leisure. Well, when the Time Lords don't send us anywhere." 

"They don't do that anymore." 

"No? About time. What happened?"

"I can't tell you. All I can say is that there was a war." 

"We shall leave it at that then." the blue eyed one decided, picking up a random book and flipping it open. The younger Doctor did the same as Sienna and Sarah quietly slipped out to explore the grounds of the mansion. 

About forty feet from the crypt, the girls observed a chain link fence with a sign: VANDEROSS CEMETERY. 

"Look over there, Sienna." Sienna looked and could see the steeple of a church rising a little ways down the main path. Sarah trod on the flagstoned pathway, overgrown with grass and wildflowers, then forced open the gate to the cemetery. Sienna followed, a little hesitant, but reciting a little prayer to herself for protection for both of them, wary of lurking spirits, even in daytime. 

"I wonder how old this place is. Most likely as old as that church." after a long time of writing down the years, the girls grouped them together and discovered the earliest date was 1803. Going back towards the house, the girls looked around warily as the sun was beginning to go down. A sudden chilly breeze enveloped them both as they went into the side door of the library. 

"Where have you girls been?" the older Doctor demanded. 

"We found a very old cemetery and a church nearby." the girls headed for the kitchen, suddenly ravenous. 

At 6:45, Sarah and Sienna sat in the living room, enjoying the luxury it had. A long desk sat in one corner, a baby grand piano sat in the other, separated by the couch they were sitting on. A few bookshelves were near the fireplace, a small table and chair sat in another corner beside the fireplace. Like the library, it had a painting hanging on the mantle. Unlike the library, it was a painting of a very stern looking man, blue eyes with red hair, dressed in a dark blue suede smoking jacket with black trim. A small jabot of lace was pinned under his chin, making him look a little puffed up like a hen. 

"I love the opulence here," Sienna remarked, eyeing the chandelier again. "On such a grand scale." she looked to Sarah, who'd dozed off. Sienna did as well. 

The younger Doctor opened up his eyes with a jolt. Glancing at his pocketwatch, he saw it was well past ten PM. His incarnation was quietly reading still, oblivious to anything else. 

"Where are the girls?" 

"In the living room." 

At the same time, Sarah and Sienna had awakened from their nap, went over to the piano, Sienna began to play a tune. It had been awhile since she had last played and the notes dragged a little bit, but Sarah could make out the song. 

"Moonlight Sonata," Sarah drifted to the middle of the room. "I feel like dancing to it." 

Up above her, the chain that anchored the chandelier began to pull free from it's place. As Sienna moved to the bookshelf, it began to tip over forwards, as if about to be pushed by an unseen force. Sienna moved forward a little bit as Sarah began to sway to and fro, imagining the music, moving however she wanted to. 

"Very nice, Sarah," Sienna laughed. "Can you dip yourself?" Sarah leaned backwards gracefully, coming up with equal grace. 

The chandelier bucked, the crystals smacked together and gave off a small rattling sound. Before either of them knew it, the chandelier came crashing down on Sarah as the bookshelf toppled over on Sienna. Sarah was lying faceup, the crystals had cut shallow wounds in her arms. She had managed a brief scream in that split second when she saw the thing coming down on her. Sienna kept her senses long enough to see Sarah's soul separate from her body and evaporate into the air. The bookshelf was about eight feet tall and Sienna was pinned down beneath it, the weight grinding into her back, her arms splayed out in front of her. 

Nobody came to help. Sienna mentally willed the Doctors to appear and told them the malicious entity had struck the first blow. Through a haze of red, she saw them running towards her. Giving them a faint smile, she closed her eyes and submitted to the blackness.

****

"Sienna!" the brown eyed Doctor exclaimed, taking her wrist and checking her pulse. A small stream of blood oozed sluggishly from her upper arm, trickling down and dripping onto the floor. Both Doctors hoisted up the bookshelf, setting it aside, then pulling the books off of her. The younger Doctor checked her over for broken bones, which she fortunately did not have. Picking her up, he set her on the couch and went to look over Sarah. 

"What in the name of Rassilon happened here? Bookshelves don't push themselves over, nor do chandeliers fall at random." the older Doctor dragged Sarah out of the wrecked chandelier as the younger one lifted it up enough for her body to be removed from underneath. The same broken bones check, a pulse check, they put her beside Sienna on the couch. Sarah had multiple cuts and scrapes, courtesy of the crystals and sharp framing of the chandelier. Both Doctors attended to their companions' cuts and other skin abrasions carefully. 

"This wasn't at complete random," the younger Doctor checked Sienna's heart rate, his ear on her chest. "You're right, they don't fall by themselves. Remember what they said? That malicious entity has thrown down the gauntlet, so to speak. I think they'll both be all right, no sign of a head injury anywhere." 

"Right," the older one agreed. "I could only say at this stage that the entity hates women because they were attacked and we were not." 

"May be true or not. Far too early to jump to conclusions. We'll have to wait until they wake up." 

"I don't think we shall have to." the older Doctor handed his incarnation a small bottle, which he tore off the top to and waved it under Sienna's nose. She blinked, then her eyelids slowly opened up. Dazed, she tried to sit up, but her Doctor held her down. 

"Easy. You took a beating there." he cautioned. The blue eyed Doctor looked at Sienna closely, gripping Sarah's hand. Sienna, her confusion clearing from her face, took in the scene. Looking at her arms, she saw the cuts and scrapes, then her eyes turned towards the chandelier. 

"What in the name of Rassilon happened here?" 

"The entity made the first move. Do not try to wake Sarah, Doctor." 

"Why not?" 

"What is her heart rate?" 

"Normal. Why?" 

"Because we've still got time," both Doctors, dumbfounded, waited for her to explain. "Sarah's soul has been separated from her body. She had quite a jolt, I saw her spirit separate and drift upwards. I have no doubt that the entity is harassing her in the spirit world right now." 

"Utterly unthinkable!" the older Doctor sputtered. "What has she done to deserve this?" 

"She hasn't. In the sick mind of the entity, that's it. Sarah's body can stay alive for only a matter of hours before it begins to deteriorate. If she doesn't get back in it, she will die." 

"What do we do?" Sienna's Doctor asked her. "Is there a spell to bring her back?" 

"It doesn't work like that," Sienna cast her eyes downwards. "You can't force a spirit back into a body, Doctor. It has to be of it's own accord. There's only one solution." 

"What is it?" 

"I'll have to separate myself from my body and go get her. Both of you must stay here." 

"Why?" 

"The less of us in that realm, the better we will be. You two must help me separate my soul from my body." 

"How?" they asked in one breath. 

"You both have hypnotizing powers. At the same time, you can send a powerful telepathic message into my brain, it will generate a mental shock that can separate body from spirit. It's our only chance," she added. " You can't help us after that. Any subliminal messages from you two or mind reading will be felt by the entity and we'd all be in deep shit then." 

"Language," they simultaneously said. "All right, we'll give you the jolt you will need to get...free and get Sarah back." 

"I know how much she means to both of you, she means a lot to me too. I want her back just like you both do," she assured them. "Once I get us both into our bodies, we will be able to ascertain more information about the entity and fight against it. Right. Each one's hand on one side of my temple, give me the jolt, and I'll go forth. The shock may be so great that I scream, but do NOT attempt to pull me back into my body by any means. Ready?" they did as she said, both nodded. 

Sienna closed her eyes as they gave her brain the telepathic message, the combined force caused the mental shock she had predicted. She let out a startled cry, then fell limp into her Doctor's arms. Astonished, both saw her spirit levitate upward and disappear. 

"Godspeed, Sienna," her Doctor positioned her on the couch, at the opposite end of the couch was Sarah. Both stood and took a long look at each of the girls' shuttered faces. "You can do it." 

The older Doctor put a blanket over each of the girls, leaning over to tuck them in. He cast his scarf over his left shoulder, then sank down into a chair. The younger Doctor did the same, pulling out the sonic screwdriver, fiddling with it. Both did not say anything, too worried about their companions to speak of anything. Reaching for a book, both pretended to be engrossed in the stories, but secretly worried. 

Sienna opened up her eyes to find she was engrossed in blackness. Sitting up, she took account of herself, making sure she had separated from her body all in one piece. Getting up, she noted her spirit body to be translucent, but it solidified after a moment. The surroundings shifted and became rainbow colored as she walked towards one section of her surroundings. Her physical body left behind, she held out a hand and put it up to the wall. The rainbow colors seemed to ooze right into her hand and over it, giving her a queer tickly feeling. 

"This is so fuckin' weird," she grimaced. "Let's see if I can go through." Sienna boldly pushed into the wall, heaving a nonexistant sigh of relief as she appeared on the other side. The colors released her with a small sucking sound, snapping back into place like a rubber band. 

"Wow," her eyes adjusted to see a large hedgemaze before her. "I suppose Sarah's in the middle and I have to get to her before time runs out." 

The hedgemaze was green, but the sky was black, the brick pathway she was on was purple. As she watched, the hedges melted away before her eyes and Sarah's prone spirit was lying on top of a stone plinth. Her spirit self mirrored her physical self, down to every cut and bruise she had sustained in the fall. Sienna narrowed her eyes, certain there was more than what she was seeing to save Sarah. 

"What the fuck are we dealing with here?" Sienna wondered out loud. "This is bullshit." 

A laugh, loud and malicious, echoed across the terrain to meet her ears. Sienna frowned and concentrated as a whispered voice spoke to her, never taking her eyes off Sarah. 

"It is not an entity..." 

"What?" she shouted, the roar of thunder obscuring most of what she had heard. The wind whistled sharply, whipping her hair into her eyes. She dug her fingers into the sides of her face, keeping her hair back.

"Many entities..." 

"What many entities?!" Sienna had to roar now to be heard. "How could so many possibly be in one place at once?!" a lightning bolt struck the ground, blowing bricks into her direction. She ducked, but not in time as a brick gave her a glancing blow off her right outer thigh. The grass uprooted, flinging itself at her with such force, it felt like needles biting into her skin. Uttering a yelp of surprise, she cowered down as the grass continued to fly. After a moment, she became used to the sensation, then summoned up her courage and determination. 

"The hell with this, we're getting out!" digging her heels into the terrain, Sienna remembered she was a spirit and all she had to do was think of a place and she'd be there. She imagined herself beside Sarah, and there she was. 

"Sarah!" Sienna wrapped her arms around her friend and mentally willed themselves out of the place they were in. Sarah's eyes were closed, she was in a stupor, probably from shock, Sienna guessed. Thinking of the mansion, she was there, holding Sarah's spirit in her arms. 

In the library, Sienna put Sarah's spirit back into her body, then realigned her spirit with her body, then woke up. 

****

"Sienna?" who was that voice? It sounded so familiar to her 

"Sienna?" another voice, one she definetly could place. Her Doctor, looking after her as usual. Why was he pestering her to get up so early that day? He usually always let her sleep in, they were in a time machine, for crying out loud. Surely, he'd need help with the TARDIS repairs, something K9 could usually do. 

Her Doctor removed something from her, exposing her bare skin on her outer thigh. Why is he examining me? she wondered. His careful fingers were a bit clumsy as he touched one particular spot, sending a flash of pain through her body, jerking her to full wakefulness. 

"Ah, look who's up!" brown eye met brown eye as Sienna sat up, realizing she wasn't on board the TARDIS, but in the mansion. Her memory flooded back to her as she noted the Doctor examining where the brick in the other realm had hit her. The blue eyed Doctor was examining Sarah intently, then he turned to Sienna, who bit her lip as her Doctor noticed the marks where the grass had pierced her skin.

"What happened in there, Sienna? Why isn't Sarah awake yet?" the Doctor sat down in a chair near Sienna, flipping his scarf over his shoulder. 

"Okay, storytime. Sarah was in some sort of spiritual purgatory. Or not even purgatory, Doctors. Some sort of spiritual hell where she had been taken. I came in there, then things started to go to hell, literally. The hedges melted, the wind kicked up until all the grass was uprooted and shot at me. It felt like needles in my skin, a brick fragment hit me, but I managed to get to Sarah and teleport us-if you will-back here. She's in her body, but she's had quite a shock. You could call her comatose now, so you need to go into her mind and wake her up. It's safe now, you can do it." 

"Why can't she wake up on her own?" 

"I don't exactly know, Doctor," she admitted. " Sarah may have encountered a spirit entity that had some sort of effect on her, a million things could have happened in there." 

"Maybe an entity had put her into a very deep state of hypnosis," he theorized. " Sarah's very sucsceptible to that." 

"It is possible," Sienna looked at her friend. " Time to go into her mind and find out. She should be lying on the floor in front of the hall of doors that are her memories." 

"Right." he went to it, putting his fingertips to Sarah's temples and getting into a comfortable position, closing his eyes. 

"What did you learn about the entity, Sienna?" her Doctor smoothed her skirt back down. Sienna propped herself up with a cushion as her Doctor helped her out a bit. He perched on the edge of the couch, ready for her answer. 

"The little bit I could ascertain was that it wasn't one entity, it was many." 

"How could that happen? I mean, the Pendletons were a small family, they had few servants. I read that the servants were treated well, so there's no cause for any disturbed souls wandering these grounds. There's no bloody history on the grounds before the house was built, either. All in all, it's the perfect place to settle in and enjoy the countryside scenery," he shook his head, raking back his hair so it stood up. "Sometimes these things really baffle me." 

"Wait a minute....several entities...wandering the halls at any given time, causing trouble. No pattern to it at all.....as if they could just come and go as they please.." Sienna steepled her fingers together, deep in thought. 

"Yes, it seems that way. I don't know about you, but I'd like to get back in the TARDIS and travel on through the vortex." the Doctor picked up a book. 

"Vortex!" Sienna exclaimed. "Doctor, can your sonic screwdriver register fluctuations in electromagnetic energy fields?" 

"Yes, it can," he handed it to her. " Let me put it on that setting...what are you thinking, Sienna?" 

"Doctor," the blue light flashed as the sonic screwdriver buzzed. "Interdimensional vortex. This ties in with your expertise. How would a vortex form in a place like this?" she got up and began to analyze each room, looking for the fluctuations. 

"Well, a rip in the space time continuum could open up one dimension to the TARDIS, more specifically, it could draw in entities from another dimension." 

"Exactly, Doctor. Only in this case, there is a rip in the spirit dimension and if one entity comes through the vortex, it finds itself here. Only....." she tapped the screwdriver against her chin, thinking for a long moment. 

"Only it's not the spiritual dimension!" the Doctor exclaimed. "These entities we know are around stay around and cause trouble. It's like a gateway to hell." 

"It's the lower astral plane where lesser entities hang out and cause random bull....crap to happen. With this gateway, the entities can come and go, do anything they want. We must pinpoint where the vortex is." Sienna aimed the sonic screwdriver and waved it over the walls in the main hallway. 

"And we must seal it up," the Doctor proclaimed, following her. " Any ideas?"

"You're the Doctor here, Doctor. You tell me how to seal up vortexes and all that." she shook her head, checking the other wall. 

"As soon as you find it, turn off the screwdriver. The electromagnetic energy from it will widen the rip and more trouble will come out." he cautioned. 

At the same time, the older Doctor entered Sarah's mind, concentrating on where to find her. Down the corridor with doors on each side, he walked carefully, listening to any sounds that may be able to help him find Sarah. He rounded a bend, where he saw a pool of dull amber light at the end of the hallway. A prone figure was lying in it, splayed out like a cast aside rag doll.

"I must remember to tell Sienna her directions aren't all that great." he muttered, making a beeline for her. 

"Sarah?" the Doctor propped up her head, checking her over for any obvious signs of trauma. Finding there was none, he pondered on how to wake her up from the deep hypnosis. His TARDIS key swung from side to side on it's long chain, getting in the way. Annoyed, he took it off and stuffed it in his pocket. 

"Wait a minute," he swiped the key back out again. " If hypnosis put her out like this, maybe I can use hypnosis to bring her back." he swung the key like a pendulum, back and forth in front of Sarah's closed eyelids. 

"You hear my voice, Sarah," he instructed. " You are asleep now, but you must wake up. Open your eyes," her eyes opened. "Good," he put the key away. "Look into my eyes, Sarah, you are waking up now. You feel awake and alert..." he repeated it until Sarah's eyes blinked and the curtain of hypnosis abated. 

"Oh, Doctor!" she sat up. "Where the devil am I?"

"First, tell me what you remember." blue eyes keen on hers, Sarah obliged him.

"Something was falling on me, but then I remember going up through the ceiling and I was thinking 'that wasn't right', and something was hypnotizing me. Bright red eyes were telling me to go to sleep and I guess I did," she stood up. "Where are we, Doctor?" 

He stood up first, ready to help if she wobbled. "A correction first, you're not awake yet." 

"I'm not?"

"No, we're inside your subconscious mind. The blow from the chandelier knocked your spirit form from your physical body, an entity hypnotized and imprisoned you in an alternate dimension. Sienna brought your spirit form back here into your body and told me you were hypnotized, so I came in and woke up your mind, so to speak." 

"How did Sienna-"

"Both of our powers produced a backlash which separated her soul from body, then she went in after you. I must go so you can wake up fully." 

"As you wish, Doctor." 

The Doctor gradually allowed his consciousness to regain it's hold on him. Bit by bit, he opened up his eyes and took his fingertips off of Sarah's temples. At the same time, she opened up her eyes and winced.

"What is it? Sore?"

"Yes, Doctor," she winced again. "It could be worse, though." 

"That's right, Sarah," he grinned. "Let's see what the others have come up with."   
****

The foursome met back in the library, where Sienna pulled out her Latin book and paged through the chapters, wondering about vortexes. Both Doctors and Sarah sat back down on the couch, striking a match and lighting up a fire. It was approaching dawn now, the faint yellow light stretched out to the gray, gradually obscuring it. Little was said as they all recognized the fact that there was an interdimensional vortex that brought the lower astral plane entities into the physical dimension. 

"So that explains why there's no pattern to anything here whatsoever." the older Doctor stated. 

"Yes, it does," Sienna slapped the book shut, pressing her hands to her temples. "There are spells in here to seal off the vortex, Doctors, but I shouldn't do that. I mean, a future owner comes in, recites them, and the whole thing starts all over again? No, we need a failsafe." 

"That electromagnetic energy field is pretty strong," Sienna's Doctor mused. "We need a way to weaken it, then reverse the electromagnetic energy flow through the door, so essentially, the vortex will collapse on itself." 

"Hmmmm..." Sienna trailed off. The sunlight filtered in through the windows, Sarah got up and threw back the curtains. Golden light filled up the room as the fire merrily burned, occasionally a loud snap would be heard as pitch on the pine log caught fire. 

"Doctor?" Sarah asked. "The dimensional stabilizer on the TARDIS. Do you think that would help?" 

Both Doctors' eyes lit up. "I think it would, Sarah!" her Doctor gave her a fond smile. "The Doctor and I can go get the TARDIS, bring it here, then run a cable from the dimensional stabilizer to where the vortex will appear tonight. When the vortex is at it's strongest, we can-" 

"Reverse the electromagnetic charge so it's positive, and then the vortex will collapse in on itself!" Sienna's Doctor exclaimed, handing her the sonic screwdriver. She took it, putting it into her bag in the other room. "Reversing the magnetic charge to positive instead of negative will be a small task, but we will take care of it. You girls get some rest while we bring in the TARDIS." 

"Reversing polarity, right?" 

"I believe that's correct, Sienna," his big brown eyes looked at her, Sienna could see his fondness for her in them. "North and south are polar opposites after all. You manage to impress me sometimes." they went to the door as Sienna held out the Mustang key to him. 

"Why Doctor, I believe you're getting sentimental on me." she joked. He chucked her under the chin and stared for a moment into his deep brown eyes. The Doctor cautioned her on being careful, told both girls to get to bed. Sarah and Sienna nodded, watching them get into the car. 

"Don't forget to turn that in to the rental car company!" Sienna called, waving. 

The sedan drove off down the road, Sienna was glad it was an automatic. Somewhere between his eighth and tenth personalities, he'd forgotten how to drive a standard. He'd once told her about Bessie, a yellow car he once had, showing her a picture he had of his third self sitting at the wheel. She'd pretended to hold her nose and tease him about the color it was, joking about it for a solid week. 

Leaving the front screen door closed but keeping the inner fiberglass door open, Sienna and Sarah went into the back room and sat down on the chaise lounges. They both picked up the blankets, making a face at how uncomfortable the lounges were. Back in the library, they stretched out, Sarah on the couch, Sienna on the green armchair. She put her feet up on the ottoman, spread the blanket out, then tilted the chair back a little bit so she was lying flat. 

"Good night, Sienna," Sarah giggled. "Or good day? It'll only take an hour or two for them to get back, right?"

"That's right." Sienna tilted her pageboy hat over her face so the light was blocked out. Both girls fell asleep in record time. 

Unseen, a stranger walked over the field to the west, looking at the Vandaross cemetery. The person put a bouquet of flowers on a grave, stood an American flag beside it, then saw the Mustang as it drove down the driveway to the old mansion, turned onto the highway, then kept going. Curious, the person decided to investigate, looking at the real estate for sale sign on the front lawn. 

"Renovation," the person muttered, looking at the back of the mansion. Taped down tarpaulin and sheets of thick plastic were attached to the gutted out sections of the bedrooms. " It'll look better once it's done. Bet they got a real estate flipper or something like that." a rented Dumpster was sitting at the back lot, already stuffed to the brim with rubbish. A gentle breeze made the windchimes jingle and sing, but the tarp and plastic remained unflappable. Getting closer, the person saw the tarp was longer than the bedroom wall, so the excess had been pinned down with cement blocks. Held fast against the wall with nails driven into the little rings, the tarp and plastic were doing their jobs. 

"That's funky," the person found the weathertight fiberglass door was open, the screen door was shut. "No car's in the driveway, so the flipper or contractor must have gone for supplies or something." putting a hand on the door, the person walked into the front hallway. 

"Hello?" the masculine voice called out. "Anyone here?" he walked into the back room, seeing duffel bags and knapsacks, four, one under each chaise lounge. Pillows were rumpled on each one, blankets were on two, two were missing. 

Venturing into the library, he found two women lying down. One on a couch, one on a chair. People sleeping at about 7 AM that morning was nothing spectacular, but he leaned in and observed the one on the couch closely. Nothing appeared to be wrong with her, but something about the atmosphere suggested imminent danger to him. Turning to the lady in the chair, he pulled off the black pageboy hat and peered down into the face. 

"Sienna Blackman!" he crowed. Hearing her name, she pulled her gun from where she'd wedged it between the chair and the cushion with the handle up, then rammed it into the man's midsection. Her eyes flashed open, full of fury, teeth clenched in a frown. 

"It's me, Mark." Sienna withdrew the gun when she recognized his face. He was about 5'11'' tall, blonde hair with blue eyes, rail thin, wearing jeans and an old yellow t-shirt. Sienna had changed into her white nightgown, her doggie flip flops on her feet. 

"What the hell are you doing here?" her voice sounded weaker than what he was used to. She sagged back against the chair, itching to go back to sleep again. He noticed she looked a little paler than usual. Mark put his fingertips on the pulse in her neck, not very surprised to find it was normal. Sienna gave a glance over to Sarah, who was undisturbed in her rest. 

"Well?" she snapped. "Last time I saw you, I was in your office. What are you doing out here?"

He drew up a chair. "That's a bit of a story, Sienna. I'm more interested in what you're doing out here with your friend and who was it that just drove off?"

"I asked first. Besides, I won't be able to stay awake much longer." 

"You look a little fragile. Are you having another attack of-"

"No! Really, I'm not. I'm here because my friend is the realtor and wanted me to look into the ghost problems this house has. I've already been here two nights and I believe my friends and I have made significant progress. What about you?" 

"My family owns a small country house near a lake about quarter of a mile here. I was just remembering my grandfather when I noticed the car driving away from this house and I wondered if it had been sold." 

"Oh, OK. That's all I need to know." she closed her eyes. 

"But I still want to ask you something. I heard you were attacked by those drunken idiots that are your parents and you disappeared-"

"Can't it wait? Really? My friend over there, Sarah, we both....well, to put it simply, we had a bad night last night. We're completely drained." 

It was an exaggeration, but it got his attention. Mark resigned himself to wait Sienna out. Pawing through the books, he saw the Latin book replaced on the shelf with a pink marker in place. Opening it, he read about interdimensional vortexes for a few sentences, then replaced the book. Finally, he found an old volume of Mark Twain, pulled it down, then sat in the chair by the fireplace and began to read. It was a chilly day, so before he got past the first page, he stoked up the fire, put in the firescreen, then picked up the book again. 

Three hours later, Sarah woke up, refreshed. She sat up in the couch, looking over to see a stranger sitting near where Sienna was sleeping. Not knowing what to do, Sarah decided it would be okay for the man to be there. She guessed by the way he was near Sienna that he was an acquaintance of hers. Sarah got up, going into the bathroom, showered and changed. It was a little hard for her to do, she was sore from the chandelier falling on her in the living room the previous night. But, she changed bandages as needed, slathered on Neosporin, then began to get her breakfast ready, making some for Sienna as well. 

Not long after Sarah got up, Sienna did. She stretched, stood, then picked out her clothes for the day. After her shower, she smoothed back her wet hair, put on her blue track pants, striped white and red polo shirt, her crucifix necklace, and her multicolored stars earrings. The stars were in each color of the rainbow, fashioned together into little multicolored bunches. Her nondescript running sneakers with a little bit of glitter on the sides completed the outfit as she clipped on her Leatherman tool and cell phone onto the waist of her pants. Making sure her phone was on, she joined Sarah in the kitchen. 

****

"What could be taking the Doctors so long?" Sarah wondered when they were back in the library. 

"Traffic on the way down, Sarah. It's brutal when they left at what, five or six AM? They'll be back in no time at all." Sienna's sharp ears caught the whirring and churning old TARDIS as it materialized in the living room where the trashed chandelier and bookcase were. 

"Doctors!" Sarah exclaimed as both disembarked the TARDIS with broad grins on their faces. " What took you so long? It's a time machine, for heaven's sake." 

"We wanted to give you girls some time to sleep," the older one told them. "After last night's adventures..." 

"Oh, all right," Sarah giggled. " What can we do for you now?" 

"Sienna, still have my sonic screwdriver?" the younger Doctor asked her. 

"Right here. We take the cable and run it to the vortex entrance now." 

"That's right," he showed her the cable they'd already hooked up to the dimensional stabilizer. "After that, we have some time to kill, so to speak." 

"Yes," Sienna turned on the screwdriver, the buzzing started when she pushed the button. "Come on, Sarah." they both scouted along the main hall, Sienna waving the screwdriver back and forth. About eight feet away from the TARDIS, the screwdriver buzzed frantically. Sarah unspooled the cable, starting at that point in the hall, then went back to the TARDIS. Both Doctors unearthed an old device of some sort, stripped off the casing, then began to toy with it as Sienna returned the sonic screwdriver. 

"Reversing the polarity," the younger one's eyes sparkled. "I think this will work. You girls can go and take a break if you like." 

"We have a visitor here, Doctor. He's someone from my past I have to talk to so he'll leave." 

The older one looked up at her quizzically. "He must not be someone you remember too fondly, Sienna." 

"Not really. He still is, technically, one of my healthcare professionals," she admitted. "I can't ever remember regarding him with like or dislike in any way. At any rate, I need to talk to him." 

"Go on then." she walked off. 

Mark was where she had left him. He'd let the fire die out, he was still engrossed in his book. Sienna sat on the chair she'd slept in and asked him what the newspapers said after she was attacked. 

"All I remember reading is that you were attacked, they thought you were hurt, and the rescue workers that arrived a few minutes after the cops called them in, they couldn't find you. Even before that, I thought you were missing, but it wasn't until that event that they officially declared you missing." 

"Before that? I knew it. I kept such a low profile around that I knew nobody would notice if I was gone," she assumed her poker face. "Anyway, it's a long story, but I ended up traveling with this one guy and I love it." 

"I'm glad you appear to be happy, then. You never were happy, at least you didn't seem to be happy, whenever you had to come in to see me." 

"Mostly the traffic, Mark. That never put me in a good mood." 

"I see. I only saw you smile...I don't think ever." 

"Well, that happens. Anyway, my friends are all busy and I have some time to kill. Think I'll tickle the ivories." she moved to the baby grand piano. 

"Oh, play the piano, I get it." he resumed his book. 

Sienna continued to play the piano for almost two hours, unearthing old songbooks from the adjacent shelf. She tried out a variety of songs, even playing the old well known tune The Entertainer. She played until she got bored with it, then got up and went to find Sarah. 

"Sarah?" she called, finding the Doctors still hard at work, reversing the polarity of the device. The older one threw off his red peacoat, handed his scarf to Sarah, then knelt down to strip off the rubber casing of some of the wires. Sienna's Doctor looked up at her briefly, not pausing in aiming the sonic screwdriver and melting two cables together. The TARDIS hummed contently, adding to the background noise of the sonic screwdriver. Sarah was sitting down, her back against the TARDIS, her eyes closed. 

"Hey, Sarah," Sienna knelt down next to her. Her friend's eyes opened up and looked at her. "Been ruminating have we?" 

"Nothing much else to do here besides listen in to this techno jargon," she straightened up. "What do you want to do now? I drifted off when you played the slow music." 

"I don't know exactly. I wouldn't suggest wandering off in this mansion, we'd get lost forever." 

"Then let's just go back to bed then," Sarah got up and did the Frankenstein walk towards the library. "Is your friend still here?" 

"Acquaintance, and yes, he is. I believe he'll be going very soon." Sienna opened up a door and it led into another sitting room. It was decorated in the purple and black color scheme, purple rugs, black furniture. There was no fireplace, but two long futons that could be pulled out to make a bed. Sienna pounced on one futon, pulling it from the wall and removing the back brace so it would lie flat. Sarah copied her, then both were soon stretched out on the beds, each had a thin woolen blanket over them. 

"Shouldn't your friend be coming up to check on the place soon?" Sarah mumbled, already halfway asleep. 

"Told her I'd call her when I thought it would be OK and she knows," Sienna closed her eyes, consciousness receding. "We've known each other for years and we trust each other." 

Sarah said no more as both of them fell asleep quickly. The Doctors, aware of how tired their companions were, worked on as quietly as they could. 

Time passed by quietly, even as the Doctors finished their work and decided to fix up dinner for everyone. When it was done, they went over into the room where the girls were sleeping, then gently woke them up. 

"Sienna," her Doctor put his hand on her shoulder, giving her a slight shake. "Time to get up and get ready for the big showdown, so to speak." she opened up her eyes, blearily looking into his dark brown eyes. Both of them had brown eyes, but Sienna's were very expressive compared to her Doctor's. Sarah had gotten up without a complaint as well, the foursome made their way into the kitchen. Knowing that Sienna was allergic to certain things, they had made sure she would be able to partake of what they had made. 

"Where did Mark go?" like true gentlemen, the Doctors had seated the girls first and began to wait on them. 

"He went home, but he will come back to see you off. I told him you were leaving with us." the older Doctor explained, flicking his scarf over his shoulder. 

"Oh, good. How did you guys make out with whatever that thing was?" 

"Very well, thanks. For heaven's sake, Sienna!" her Doctor watched her. "What are you doing?"

"What is all this cutlery for?" she complained, removing more than half of it. "Do I start from the outside and work my way in or what?" 

"That's right," Sarah separated her cutlery as well. "This is supposed to be informal." 

"That's the way it was traditionally set up back then." the Doctor removed his hat and plunked it on Sarah's head. 

"So should we go get dressed up in period era clothes or just wing it?" Sienna laughed. 

"I bet this place has some nice clothes in an armoire or something. We can check it out later." the foursome had their supper, then all went into the library. 

"It's only seven PM," Sienna checked her cell phone clock. " What do we do until then?" 

"For four hours? We can sleep, do whatever we want." Sarah's Doctor was stretched out on the couch. Sienna threw a pillow at his side, got beside him, then put her head down on it. The pillow was on his left heart, she aimed her brown eyes up at his blue ones, giving him a sly grin. 

"Do I hear that you're getting tired?" Sienna's Doctor stretched out on the other end, Sarah curled up with him. 

"Nonsense," he gave her his megawatt smile. "Time Lords don't get tired." 

"Well, we girls are still tired after all that went on last night," Sarah retorted, her right arm draped over the younger Doctor's chest. "We humans get tired after eight or more hours on our feet." 

"Exactly, you've been around humans for awhile, Doctors. You would know." Sienna closed her eyes. 

"Some things do escape us, sometimes." he admitted. Sarah put her Doctor's hat on the adjacent stand, then relaxed, falling asleep gradually. 

Not long after she fell asleep, the younger Doctor echoed her. Sienna cracked open one of her eyes and chuckled, seeing them asleep together like that. 

"What's so funny?" the older Doctor's deep voice asked her. 

"Picture them, he's gone into his tenth regeneration and she hasn't aged a day since he dropped-" she stopped, remembering she wasn't supposed to allude to future events. 

He sensed her hesitation. "Don't allude to future anything, Sienna. Now, how did you get so into the paranormal and ghosts? I've never met anyone...quite like you before." 

"It was a long time ago. My adopted siblings got me into it. My brother would help me out when we went on family excursions into the wilderness and every night by the campfire, he'd tell some pretty nasty stories. I was scared of it at first, then I realized the stories had a real profound effect on me. I began to research them, and some of them were actually true. The scientific process or theory about ghosts is that the electromagnetic field fluctuated when they are around. The temperature drops, you can see your breath, and it comes with a sense of being watched." 

"And I take it you've had that experience?" 

"More than once, yes," Sienna snuggled up to the older Doctor. "It really threw a spark of adventure into me, and it grew into a flame that cannot be wiped out. I'll never lose interest in ghosts, etc." 

"Glad to hear that. Too many people lose sight of their interests and passions once they get older. You and Sarah have that childlike wonder, it's quite refreshing to see. Too many nowadays are expected to grow up very fast." 

Sienna did not answer, she was fading fast. The Doctor saw her eyes close, he brought his left arm up so it crossed her back, holding her to him. A few minutes later, he began to fall asleep as well.

The foursome slept comfortably, Sienna had turned her head so she now had her right ear on the older Doctor's chest, as if to listen to his hearts. The younger Doctor had his arm around Sarah, her head was under his chin. The time passed by until Sienna's cell phone began to ring. Instantly awake, the older Doctor pulled the phone out of the holster she had clipped to the waistband of her pants, then flipped it open. 

"Hello?" 

"Hi, I'm looking for Sienna, this is her friend Ruby." 

"Oh, I'm sorry, but she's sleeping now." 

"I was just calling to check up on her. She is my best friend and I wanted to know if the house is done." 

"It's all right. The house will be done the earliest you come in the morning." 

"Oh, all right! She'll get a cut from the sale of the house for her help. It's only fair." 

"How generous of you, Ms. Harrison. Did you find the prospective buyers for the mansion yet?"

"I finally did! They want to meet Sienna sometime." 

"Sometime. Congratulations on finding a buyer, Ms. Harrison. Good bye." 

"Goodbye." he flipped the phone shut and slid it back into the holster. Sienna shifted into a more comfortable position, then opened up her eyes a little bit. She looked over to see the Doctor staring down at her and she managed a slight smile. 

"It's 11:30, Sienna, your friend Ruby just called." 

"Ugh," she yawned, turning her face away. "So late? Well, she knows I'm a night owl anyway," Sienna put her chiin on top of her folded hands on the pillow and smiled at the older Doctor. "What did she want?" 

"She has a buyer for the house, they want to meet you, and Ruby will give you a cut from the house sale to pay you for your help." 

"How generous of Ruby. A little petty cash in my accounts at the credit union will be good..." she trailed off. "I don't expect to save all of it, of course. I'll get a few extra things for my trips in time." 

"Foresight. Let's wake up the others and get into action." 

****

"Sarah, time to get up." Sienna disentangled herself from the older Doctor, then stood up, with his assistance. The younger Doctor blinked awake, helped Sarah up, then bounced up, full of energy. 

"Well, let's get things moving, all right?!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands together in excitement, dashing for the TARDIS. Sarah leaned over to Sienna's ear. 

"Is he always-"

"All the time. I wonder if it's his Gallifreyan origin or a mega dose of caffiene." she rolled her eyes as the Doctors went to the TARDIS, powering up the dimensional stabilizer. Sarah and Sienna walked into the TARDIS, making sure all their things were together after they would leave later on. The older Doctor examined the vortex mark in the hallway, his sonic screwdriver picking up electromagnetic activity. 

"The vortex will appear, by my calculations, in about seven minutes, if this activity doesn't cease! Get ready!" he barked over the crescendoing noise of the vortex. The younger Doctor signaled that he understood, turning on the device and checking the positive power levels. Sienna and Sarah stood by, ready for action. The seven minutes estimated went by quickly as the older Doctor did one last reading. The vortex opened up with a whooshing sound, immediately a powerful wind emerged, trying to engulf the Doctor. He grabbed a hold of the power cable, shoved it into the opening, where it stayed. Using it as a tether, he began to walk towards the others, step by step. 

"Come on, Doctor!" Sarah extended her hand as she kept the other clutching the TARDIS door. He grabbed for her twice and failed, but the third time, he latched on successfully and went into the console room, ready to flip the dimensional stabilizer switch. Sienna crouched next to her Doctor, ready to fly into action if he needed her. 

"Argh!" he grunted, pointing to where the vortex was emanating from. She saw the cable end freely whipping in and out of the opening. Sienna moved, but her Doctor stopped her. 

"As soon as I use the sonic screwdriver to anchor it into place," he yelled above the wind. "You flip this switch to reverse negative to positive polarity!" 

"But what about you?" she had her hands keeping back her hair. as the wind tried to whip it into her face. 

"I'll be fine! The charge won't hurt me!" without ado, he had his sonic screwdriver in his teeth as he allowed himself to fly into the vortex, stopping just in front of it, grabbing the cable. Sienna watched as he threw the cable into the opening, then he used his sonic screwdriver to melt the edges into the vortex so it would stay put. He pulled out a roll of duct tape, securing it down for a good two feet. He looked to Sienna and gave her the signal. Knowing he would lecture her later if she hesitated, she threw down the switch, releasing the positive energy. The Doctor observed the vortex shift from a white color of the negative energy to a dark blue of the positive energy, then gave her the same signal again. 

"Doctor, flip the switch now!" Sienna screamed out above the wind. The older Doctor did as told, the vortex lit up with a bright yellow color, the entire opening began to shrink down visibly before their eyes. 

The wind reversed in an explosion as the vortex disentegrated, unearthly howls and noises came from the other side in the final moment as the Doctor went flying into Sienna, knocking her down. She went into the wall, bumping her head as the Doctor landed on top of her. 

"Oh my God!" Sarah pulled the younger Doctor off of Sienna. "Are you both all right?" the older Doctor came out of the TARDIS to help. Sienna coughed, trying to get rid of the dirt in her lungs the wind had kicked up. Her Doctor sat up, a faint blush in his cheeks. He propped her up, giving her a sound whack on the back. 

"OK, Sienna?" he asked, helping her to stand up. She nodded, still trying to work the dirt out of her throat. The older Doctor guided her into the TARDIS, sat her down on a chair in the console room, then told her to hold her breath and not to move. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver, then aimed it at her chest, beaming it up and down for thirty seconds. 

"Breathe, Sienna." he told her. She did so, noticing no sign of an irritant. 

"What did you do to me?" 

"Sonic screwdriver removed the irritants from your lungs," he grinned. "This has many uses besides purely mechanical." 

"Well, we learn something new everyday." Sienna got up and retrieved her few things from the library. Her Doctor pulled her things from her and gave her his cheeky smile. 

"Feel better now?"

"Quite. What about you?" 

He stowed her things in the TARDIS, looking behind her for a moment. Sienna knew that Mark was there.

"Oh, I'm fine. Got a very hard head, you know." 

"In more ways than one," she ribbed him, provoking a laugh. Without turning around she said, "I know you're there, Mark. Come to see me depart, have you?" 

He looked shocked, but then again, Sienna always had a penchant for the unknown. 

"You're leaving?" she stood in the doorway of the TARDIS. 

"I never stick around after a job is done. Anyway, there are more adventures for us out there." 

"Sienna, you have a life here on earth. Why throw that away over this travel thing?"

"Travel broadens the mind, Mark. I don't like to stay in one place for long." 

"I can understand that, but how will I contact you if your meds suddenly give you side effects and such?"

"Here," she wrote down her cell phone number. "You can reach me anytime with it." 

"Sienna!" they all chimed in from the TARDIS console room.

"Coming! I'm so gone. You'll see me again, I'm sure. 'Bye." she closed the door shut and the TARDIS began to evaporate into the air.

"How is it possible I could reach you?"

"Two words: universal roaming!" the TARDIS disappeared, leaving Mark a little confused.

On board the TARDIS, the spot where Sienna's head had hit the wall throbbed painfully. She leaned against the wall for a moment, trying to regroup herself. 

The Doctors piloted the TARDIS, Sarah was happily chatting for a little bit, then went off to her room to get a few things. When she came back, she saw Sienna, her color was drained from her face. Going up to the Doctors, she voiced her concern, then all looked over at Sienna. She was seeing red now, the room was getting blurry in her vision. 

"Sienna, do you feel all right?" her Doctor looked at her, concerned. 

"Nope," her voice was thick. "I smacked my head back there. You drove me into that wall." 

"Take this," acetominephen. " Before you pass out, I want you to go to your room and go to sleep." her knees buckled and she slumped to the floor. He cried out her name and propped up her head. 

"Too late." a faint grin, her eyes rolled up, then closed. 

"She'll be all right?" Sarah watched as he picked up Sienna off the floor. The older Doctor looked up at him as well. 

"Delayed reaction from me falling into her. Yes Sarah, I think she'll be fine. Let me just put her to bed." 

"Right. Sleep will help heal her. Speaking of that, I'm still on earth time and I need my rest as well." Sarah bid them a good night and went to bed. 

Late into the night, the older Doctor wandered the halls, his way of decompressing after a long day, when he came upon Sienna's door. He heard her voice, then opened up the door. She was in bed, muttering to herself some words he could not hear. The Doctor sat on the edge of the bed and put his hand on her shoulder. She reacted with a jolt, lowering her slightly raised hand. 

"Oh, Doctor," she opened up her eyes a little bit. " I had an odd dream. None of it made sense at all. What time is it?"

"About one AM TARDIS time, Sienna. I heard you muttering. Your Doctor and Sarah are fast asleep." 

"What about you?" she sat up, the throbbing had subsided.

"I'm on my way to bed right now." 

"Don't let me keep you." 

"How are you feeling?" he touched the side of her head gingerly, afraid he might hurt her. She exhaled slowly and lay back down into bed. 

"Better. More rest is just the thing. Tonight, I can sleep uninterrupted by paranormal phenomena." 

He smiled. "I think that's possible, Sienna." 

Acting on an impulse, she sat up, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Good night, Doctor." 

The Doctor watched as she closed her eyes. He lowered his face down and pecked her on the cheek. "Good night, Sienna." 

Pulling a blanket up closer to her shoulders, the Doctor draped it over her. He watched her sleep for a moment, then left the room, going to say good night to Sarah before he finally retired for the night.


	13. Malfunction of he TARDIS

Angst/Drama/Hurt/Comfort

4th/10th/Sienna/Sarah

"Hello, everyone!" Sienna stood at the entrance of the console room, dressed in a rainbow colored vest, black shorts, her flip flops. Sarah entered beside her, clad in a sleeveless orange top with purple jean shorts and red Ked shoes. 

"Hello, Sienna, Sarah," Sienna's Doctor walked up to her. "You girls completely compliment each other's outfits today." 

Sienna smiled, she had on yellow sun earrings, Sarah had the sun bracelet. Sienna wore a multicolor flower necklace, Sarah had three little silver color pendants with hearts in the center of each one. 

"Indeed, you're like the rainbows of color," the older Doctor smiled approvingly. "We don't have anywhere to go at the moment, so we're idly surfing the time vortex." 

"I wouldn't object to a little uneventful time in the TARDIS." Sienna grinned, her Doctor realizing she was wearing that purple lipgloss she rarely ever used. Sarah had a light pink color lipgloss on also, both girls had their nails painted red. They stood with their Doctors, chatting as a group for a few minutes until the younger Doctor excused himself, going to retrieve a book from the library. Sarah and Sienna wandered off, going down into the gardens. 

"Feel free to plant anything you want," the older Doctor called. "The TARDIS won't disagree with you. She'll be happy you're doing work down there instead of her taking care of all of it." 

"I never could look at plants again after that Krynoid." Sarah opened up the small shed, took out two garden toolboxes, handed one to Sienna, then both went down the pathway. Light blue and reddish colored flagstones lined the way as they trotted down near the fountain. 

"These flowers are just beautiful," Sienna held a blooming snapdragon carefully. "I always thought some wild roses and bleeding hearts flowers would look nice. Maybe a nice row of tulips, too. They come up every year." 

Sarah snapped on her gloves, checked the seeds, then both began to dig, kneeling on foam rubber pads. They made small holes in the very front, then put in two tulip bulbs in each hole. Sienna found iris, marigold, and sunflower seeds in the storeroom, they put those plants near the back of the garden, they would grow taller than the rest. 

"You're a real garden expert, Sarah," Sienna watched her water the freshly planted sunflowers. "Were your parents well versed in horticulture?" 

"My mom used to take me out and I'd help her garden. We worked on flowers, vegetables, and herbs. What about you?" 

"I planted some veg seedlings, I did a little bit of herbs, but not much. Sometimes I'd prune." 

"One of my uncles ran a farm stand in a local shop when I was growing up. We'd spend the weekends over there, helping out with the harvest and such. It was great fun." 

"I can imagine. One of our neighbors was a professional gardener. We used to sell plants for a Mother's Day fundraiser when I was in grade school." Sienna grunted, huffing as she removed some dirt and brought a large rock over to the garden. Getting back on her knees, she moved the rock into place, creating a rock line curving all around the garden. Sarah picked up some smaller rocks and positioned them on top of the bigger rocks. The babbling fountain three feet away made them feel peaceful and content, working in a garden.

"Never in my wildest dreams could I even fathom doing this," Sarah's shovel scraped the rock as she made room for a shrub. "Planting flowers and shrubs while going through deep space on a TARDIS." Sienna laughed as she hefted up the shovel and returned it to the shed. They sat for a few minutes by the fountain as the TARDIS whirred and chugged. 

"Well now, I feel a little odd....." Sarah felt dizzy, her vision spun around her as she stood up and went to the doorway of the gardens. Sienna followed, unsure of what to do. 

"What do you feel like, Sarah?" she guided her friend to the console room slowly, helping her along. Sarah leaned against the wall, unable to stir a step further, certain she'd fall down. Sarah slid down to the floor, her head in her hands. 

"I don't know...something is making me feel so dizzy. It's very weird." 

"Anything else?" 

"I don't know yet.." 

"Medbay now, Sarah." she got Sarah up, sending the Doctors a telepathic message to meet them in the medbay. When they got there, the Doctors walked in just behind her. The two of them put Sarah on the exam cot, the older Doctor stepped on a lever to jack up the cot a little bit.

"What happened, Sienna?" the younger one asked her. 

"I don't know. One moment we were fine, and the next, she was saying she felt very dizzy all of a sudden. She's not bleeding at all, so it's very strange." 

"Odd. You did the right thing, Sienna," the older Doctor turned to her. " It is possible we can catch this in it's early stages, whatever it is." 

"I hope I don't catch it." Sienna worried. 

"Only thing I can say is, time will tell." her Doctor gripped her hand.

"Do you need to quarantine her, Doctor?" 

"No, Sienna," he answered, picking up Sarah and putting her to bed. Sarah's eyes were open, but he didn't think that she was conscious enough to know what was going on. "The TARDIS is isolated, so whatever she's contracted, we all may get it, sooner or later." 

"Odd. So very odd." the younger Doctor mused. Sarah turned, her eyes blinked, suddenly coming out of her stupor. Before anyone could move, she doubled over in a coughing spasm. The older Doctor positioned Sarah upright, stuffing pillows behind her. She looked at him after the spasm stopped, looking at her Doctor with glazed over eyes. Sarah had already lost a little color in her cheeks, she felt limp and exhausted. The others could see it plainly in her face as she closed her eyes and faded into sleep. Her Doctor measured her pulse, then looked up at the others. 

"It's a little faster than what I'd like." was all he said. 

"Should we leave you in here to watch her?" Sienna looked over Sarah. 

"No, it could just be a chest cold and she'll get over that quickly." he stood up and exited the room. Sienna followed him, leaving her Doctor to sit in the library and go over medical books. 

"Doctor, I've just got this feeling that there's more to it-" 

"Sienna, please!" he barked, picking up the sonic screwdriver. She stopped, looking at him, but not with shock, as he rarely snapped or barked at people. When he looked at Sienna, he saw those brown eyes of hers latch on to his. 

"You feel it too, don't you?"

"Sienna, I just don't want to get carried away, thinking there's more to it than there actually is." 

She crossed over to stand beside him, staring into the time rotor columns. "I understand, but we must consider our options here. It is at early stages, but there's a possibility for it to get worse," she sighed. "I do not like standing around and feel like I'm neglecting her, Doctor." 

"Nonsense!" he snapped again. " Sienna, Sarah will be fine!" 

" All right, Doctor! Perhaps I'll talk to you when you're less snappy!" she shot back at him. " I feel like we should be doing research, I don't want to get what she's got as well!" she fled the room without another word. The Doctor sighed as he stared into the time rotor columns again. 

Sienna went into the library, finding her Doctor stretched out on a couch, engrossed in a medical textbook. She joined him, putting her head into his lap. He moved aside the book and looked down at her, giving her a slight smile. The Doctor raked his hand through her hair, guiding it away from her face as he studied her. Sienna was a pretty girl, dark brown eyes, freckles, which she hated. He once told her that they were very becoming, but she'd remarked that they were hard to hide under makeup. Sienna's naturally pink lips-now purple because of the lipgloss-he found himself staring at them hard. She had a few moles on one side of her face, she'd jokingly call them beauty spots and pretend to gloat over them. 

Without even thinking, he brushed his hand over her lips, playfully touching her nose and withdrawing his hand. Her ever expressive eyes locked onto his gaze, wondering what he was thinking. Sienna's nose was a little ball like formation at the tip, little freckles dotted it. 

"What did you do that for?" she brought him back to reality. 

"Oh!" he jumped. "I was just thinking about how beautiful you are." 

Sienna blushed. "Come on Doctor, I'm not beautiful. When I'm all dressed and made up, I could be pretty." 

"So modest," he jested. "I was looking into Sarah's condition, but I haven't found anything yet. Sit up with me and we'll read it together." 

"All right," she cozied up to him. "Remember, I've been on the OR table three times..well four, and I may have a better medical mind than you!" 

"I don't know...I've been on many planets and seen many dieseases and cures. Maybe I should take Sarah to New Earth hospital." 

"What?" he began the story of the Sisters of Plenitude and their human guinea pig experiments, and the Lady Cassandra, last human of old earth. 

****

Two hours later, the older Doctor went to check on Sarah and found no change. He passed by the library and peered in to see the younger Doctor actively reading medical books and Sienna asleep next to him. 

"Is she a narcoleptic? I swear, I see her sleeping all the time." 

"She's a human," he grinned. "They have to get eight hours of sleep to be energized." 

The older Doctor came in, sitting down on the ottoman. "I was a bit harsh to her earlier and I wanted to apologize for it. Sarah means more to me than I'd like to admit, so it's like I'm connected to her in an emotional way." 

"I wouldn't be surprised. Did you notice the TARDIS is quieter, as if not to disturb Sarah?" they both listened, the younger Doctor was right. 

"And who says these old type 40 TARDISes don't have feelings?" the light went amber, then turned back to normal. Both Doctors laughed as the TARDIS continued to wheeze and chug away. 

"She's been sleeping the whole time?" 

"Yes." 

"Is it odd to you? I mean, it's 4 PM." 

"She's probably stuck on earth time still." her Doctor got up, positioning Sienna comfortably on the couch. Both of them left, leaving Sienna to sleep in silence. An hour later, she stirred and woke up, feeling a little bit flushed. Sienna went into the kitchen and began to prepare herself something. Taking the hot cocoa mix out of the cupboard, she plugged in the electric kettle and got out her ingredients. 

When the kettle was boiling hot, she poured out a portion into her mug, then added up all she had assembled. Dumping in a liberal amount of the mix into the mug, she stirred it up, then dumped in a bit of vanilla caramel creamer she had stumbled upon one day. Adding a bit of a chocolate bar to make it taste like real chocolate, she stirred again, then topped it off with marshmallow Fluff. Putting the things away, she picked up her mug, then sat down at the table, putting her feet up on the other chair. Sienna picked up an old book and flipped through it, not reading it, just looking at the pictures. 

After awhile, the older Doctor came in. He muttered a hi as he strode over to the kettle and plugged it in. 

"It's already hot." she announced, turning the page. 

"Did you," she held up her mug. "Right." he unplugged the kettle and fixed himself some tea. 

"Green tea?" he sat down across from her. 

"No. It's a cinnamon apple type flavor." 

"All righty then. There have been studies that show green tea is a healthy antioxidant. Country went on a green tea binge." 

"It's actually not all that cracked up to be." he took a sip. 

"Took us about six months to prove that," she set down her mug. " How's Sarah?" 

"The same." 

Sienna wrapped her long fingers around the mug for the warmth, looking at the Doctor, who matched her look. He put down his teacup and stared everywhere else for a moment, thinking about what he wanted to say before he started. Sienna still unnerved him a little bit, though he was more used to it now. The stare she could turn on him at anytime would make him hesitate on what he wanted to say. 

"Sienna, about Sarah, I just don't want-" 

"To go overboard, I know that much. You could drive yourself nuts worrying, I understand." her gaze softened up a little bit towards him and he felt more comfortable. 

"Thank you, Sienna." 

"You're welcome, Doctor. I truly do understand what you mean. But I just feel something's going on that's bigger then meets the eye," she put her hands on her shoulders, rubbing them for a minute. " Call it a sixth sense, call it intuition, but..." she gripped her mug again. 

"I understand that," the Doctor spoke like he was addressing a two year old. "But, we need to concentrate on the present for now." 

"Don't address me like a two year old, Doctor," Sienna snapped. "Don't patronize me. After what most recently happened, I would believe that you were giving me a little more credit than this!" he watched her as she stood up, then put a hand to her head. 

"Do you feel all right, Sienna?" alarmed, he jumped up and went over to her. She sat down in her chair again, then let the Doctor examine her. He tilted up her head and looked into each of her eyes, but didn't see anything. 

"Not really. I've been feeling a bit flushed for about an hour or two now." 

"Do you feel dizzy like Sarah?" 

"A little bit," she admitted. " I know this is what is wrong with Sarah. I bet she's flushed too." 

"You must get to bed, Sienna. Let me help you." he assisted her, helping her to get onto the bed where the younger Doctor rushed in. Sienna pulled off her flip flops, her earrings, then lay down. The younger Doctor handed the older one a stethoscope, then hunkered down by his companion's side, monitoring her pulse. 

"Sarah's got a low grade fever as well." he proclaimed, watching as the older Doctor listened to Sienna's heart. 

"Well, her heart's normal...probably just a common flu bug." 

"I don't know about that. Anyway, what say we take some blood from each and examine it?" 

He handed the stethoscope back to the younger Doctor. "At this point in time, since it is early on, I would like to just give it 24 or 48 hours, then we shall see, all right?" 

"Fair enough." they both kept a close watch on the girls throughout the night. In the morning, the younger Doctor checked in on Sienna, checking her pulse and heart rate, which were a little elevated. Frowning, he felt her temperature spike. 

The Doctors met in the medbay, where each were putting their sick companions on cots. Both put them on vital sign monitors, then the younger Doctor brought out a syringe and necessary supplies. He cleaned the back of Sienna's hand, chose a vein, then withdrew a blood sample. The older Doctor did the same to Sarah, brought out the slides, iodine, and electron microscopes. Putting a small smear on a slide, they added a drop of iodine solution to color the cells, then examined it carefully, increasing magnification. 

"Hmmm..." the younger one tapped a pen against the desk.

"Remarkable. Some unknown..pathogen is showing itself in Sarah's lungs. It's irritating, but she doesn't show any sign of suffocating. It is making her sick, her fever has increased some..." he trailed off. 

"I've got a bit of the same thing. It's affecting Sienna's blood, actually." 

"Something is leaking this pathogen...Sarah's body is fighting back, but she's getting weak." the older Doctor looked at Sarah, her color was gone, lying still on a cot. Her vital signs were stable, but he doubted they would stay there for long.

"The same pathogen appears to be almost eating away her blood..Oh my sweet Rassilon, Sienna..." 

"What?" 

"I just did some calculations and at the rate where this pathogen is attacking them...they're dying." 

"What?!" 

****

"It's true. The pathogen is multiplying at an alarming rate, it's weakening the girls. In a day's time, they'll be at death's door. That it's attacking in different places in each of them, I think that's irrelevant at this point. Their wasting away before our very eyes, Doctor." he told the older one. 

"You're right," he allowed after reexamining the slide. " I don't even know how they got this disease, but we cannot allow it to...claim the girls." 

"You keep them comfortable, I'll set the TARDIS for the nearest hospital." the younger one dashed off, leaving the older Doctor to put blankets over the girls, check their vitals, noting their fevers had risen. Sarah had 104, Sienna 105 degrees. 

"Don't you worry, Sarah," he whispered, latching onto her lax hand. "We'll get you fixed up and surfing the time vortex with me again soon." Sarah Jane Smith meant the world to him. She had sneaked into his TARDIS in his third incarnation, over time, he'd developed a bond with her. On Nerva, when she was accidentally conditioned and processed as a volunteer, he had been shocked when Harry had flipped open the cryogenic door and saw her there. Eyes closed, dressed in white from the top down, Sarah was in a deep comatose state when they found her. Even before that, she had suffocated, stumbling into a room when the door shut and there was no oxygen. He felt his hearts nearly leap up into his throat when he saw her lying on the floor, unable to breathe. There were a number of times when she had been kidnapped or hypnotized, drugged, etc. Before they met Sienna, she had been crushed in a quarry explosion. The Doctor never wanted to see her taken off in an ambulance again. He'd ridden with her, held her hand, but she never roused to meet his eyes. The only way he'd found her was by her scream of fear when she found the hand. 

Sienna he didn't know as well. She was a strong lady, he remembered a bit from her past, and certainly knew her way around a haunted house. She could play the piano, she did have a foul mouth at times, when things got to her. The Doctor knew she was a smart girl, athletic, and funny. Sarah had once shown him some jewelry that she said Sienna had shown her how to make during their impromptu vacation. He held her hand for a moment, mentally vowing to help both girls recover. 

He didn't know how long it was until he heard the TARDIS land, so he picked up Sarah as the younger picked up Sienna, then both marched out the front door. They walked out to the emergency entrance, the younger Doctor noting that the hospital looked like the hospital on new earth. To his relief, the nurses and doctors there looked like regular humans, only they all had a golden complexion. The staff wore bright colorful suits, in contrast to the stark whiteness the hospital was colored in. 

"What have we got here?" a nurse with brown eyes and wild green hair asked, bringing a few gurneys and an orderly with him. They put the girls down, explaining the situation to the doctor that had taken the cases. 

"Okay, let's just get them installed in rooms and on oxygen, their saturation levels are below normal. Then you can explain to me everything." the doctor, blonde hair and bright green eyes, pushed back her hair with her green nails, then started ordering medications for the girls. 

A few minutes later, the doctor introduced herself as Dr. Fohem. She sat both Doctors down and asked what went on, now the girls were stabilized. 

"Our discovery," the younger one did the talking. "Just yesterday, Miss Smith got dizzy and we put her to bed. We thought she was just about to..lose blood normally, like all earth girls do." 

"Menstruate," Dr. Fohem nodded. "Go on." 

"It was worse than that. The next day-today-we checked on her and she developed a low grade fever. It climbed up by the hour to where it is now. It wasn't until yesterday about three hours later, Miss Blackman came down with similar symptoms. We took samples of their blood and by the looks of things, this pathogen is eating away at their immune systems. So, we brought them here, in hopes you can get rid of the pathogen or at least identify it and help them." 

"Why should Miss Smith's one be affecting her lungs and Miss Blackman her bloodstream? There's an oddity we need to figure out. The rate of infection, different times, might help to prove that. At any rate, they're stable for now. I'll have the lab techs analyze and send me reports of what they have found. In the meantime, you both can sit with them if you like." 

"No quarantine?" the older Doctor inquired.

"Are these two girls completely human?" 

"Yes." 

Dr. Fohem shrugged. "It could be this pathogen was formulated by an alien race to get rid of humans. It also could be a leakage of something in your vehicle that you live in." 

"Impossible! The TARDIS does routine maintenance on herself." the younger one exclaimed. 

"I don't mean to impugn your ship, Doctor, but it is possible. I know how you Time Lords do love your vehicles. Excuse me." she turned and walked away. 

In the room, Sarah and Sienna had on masks, hospital gowns, and were tucked away in beds. A dividing curtain had been drawn back, to allow the doctors more room to move about. The girls had been put on IV rehydration solutions already, both were in fevered deliriums. 

"Oh my Sarah Jane," the older Doctor went to her side and clasped her hand. " I had hoped never to see you like this." 

Mimicking him, the younger one did the same to Sienna. "Cheer up, girl! You'll be on the mend soon." 

"We'll find out what the trouble is and conquer it. Don't give up." the older Doctor sat down in the chair and tilted his hat over his head. After a moment, he was asleep, but not letting go of Sarah's hand. A ringing sound interrupted the younger Doctor's ruminating, so he picked up Sienna's purple shorts and pulled out her cell phone. The hospital staff had tucked the belongings away in bags they stowed under the beds. 

"Who could be calling her now?" he muttered. Flipping it open, he said, "Hello?"

"Hello, I'm Mark Banks, calling for Sienna Blackman. Is she around?"

"Hang on a tick, you're the one we met at the house, aren't you?" he forrowed his brow in momentary concentration.

"Yes. Is she there?" 

"She's....not available right now. Sienna's sick." 

"Just a flu bug or something?"

The Doctor decided to just come out and say it. No point in hedging or lying about the truth. " No. Actually....she's.."

"She's what?"

"We're in a hospital. She and her friend Sarah Jane Smith..they're dying.." 

"WHAT?!" 

"Ouch, my ear," he complained. "Sorry, but she and her friend contracted an unknown pathogen from our ship and they became ill from it. Apparently both of them are sick because they're humans." 

"And you're not? No, don't tell me. This is easier to take if I don't know." 

"If you think so, then yeah." 

"Where are you?" 

"Ohhhh," he drawled. "A place you've never been, to be sure. If I told you, I'd have to kill you, and I'd not want that on my head." 

"Right. Sometime you'll have to show me." 

"Sometime." the Doctor knew that Sienna didn't like Mark very much at all. She had thought of him only when she had to, preferring not to broach the subject voluntarily. The Doctor didn't know much about it at all, he never asked since she had met Mark back in the mansion. 

"Is there no hope for her?" 

"I think there is. These are some of the finest doctors in the galaxy here." 

"When she gets better," the Doctor detected a slight hitch in the voice. " She must call me and tell me she's all right." 

Hiding a smile, the Doctor knew Sienna wouldn't do anything of the sort. Sienna didn't like him, she wouldn't call back. "I'll see what I can do." no promise, no guarantees. 

"You care for her." he stated calmly.

"Of course! She's one of my patients." 

"No no, as a person to a person." 

"Yeah. Any problem with that?" 

Deciding to play innocent, the Doctor replied, "No no, just that I keep reading articles of a doctor neglecting a patient nowadays. They never bother to return calls anymore, then the patient sues the doctor for this or that. They think they're too high and mighty and get mad when someone insults their intelligence." 

"I can assure you, I've never done that." Mark was approaching indignation. 

"Glad to hear it!" the Doctor forced energy into his voice. "I'll give her the message, 'bye." 

Relaxing back, the Doctor watched Sienna in her delirium, all the while hearing his older looking self's occasional snore. 

At midnight that night, both Doctors were sleeping when Dr. Fohem came in and woke up the older one. He jumped, fumbling with his hat and plunking it down on top of the Dynamap blood pressure monitor.

****

"Ah, Dr. Fohem. What can you tell us at this stage?" she smiled, sitting down next to him in an empty chair. 

"Your TARDIS is on the fritz, Doctor. Your ship is poisoning these two young ladies by a burned out circuit. A nearby pipe exploded from sub zero temperatures and the liquid inside made it's way to the vent gratings into the ship. It is potentially fatal if ingested, right now these girls are suffering from a form of toxemia. The liquid does not have a name, but I can assure you, if their fevers spike any higher, they will go into seizures and a few hours later, they will die. This substance initally acts by making the victim feel very dizzy and flushed, like any old flu bug. The reason why this affects humans and not you two is that you know you're Gallifreyan, your blood does not have the iron rich substance like theirs does. The liquid feeds on the iron, multiplies, and before you know it, the victims are usually dead." 

"But Sienna's anemic," the younger Doctor had woken up to hear most of Dr. Fohem's little speech. "She can't absorb iron like the rest of the humans can." 

"Do you know why?" 

"No, she's never told me." 

"Anyway, that's why she's been hit harder than Miss Smith. Her iron levels are low to begin with, so she felt dizzy and feverish at once because her body couldn't fight it off like Miss Smith." 

"She felt more of the effects than Sarah," the older Doctor mused. "I would like to find out what's causing her anemia. I'll have to ask her sometime." 

"What can you do to help them?" 

"We're working on that right now. A steady course of rehydration and antibiotics to start, and we shall come up with an antigen to reverse the effects. I've only seen this once or twice and both the patients died. I do know that if we allow it to run it's course, they will not live." 

"What about the properties of this pathogen?" both Doctors said together. "It needs iron to stay alive, and depriving them of that to banish the pathogen is not an option. There must be something else." 

"Hmmm. This is only experimental, but if we could program a dialysis machine to identify the pathogen as an enemy and clean it out of the blood, how would that work, do you think?" Dr. Fohem checked the girls' oxygen saturation. 

"Interesting," the younger Doctor mused. "Dialysis machines do clean the blood, hence removing waste. How would we be able to get it to recognize the pathogen as an enemy?" 

"Protein code," the older Doctor announced. " Every disease in the cosmos has some type of protein or DNA code. If we were to input that data into a modified dialysis machine, the girls would have a fighting chance." 

"I'll get tech support on it right away. Thank you, Doctors." Dr. Fohem hurried off. 

Slumping down into their chairs, the Doctors gazed into the faces of their companions. Sarah opened up her eyes a bit and gazed at her friend. She tried to talk, but she could not form a single word. Her Doctor understood and gripped her hand, letting her know that he was there for her.

"Sarah, we've made a breakthrough and we will get you and Sienna well again." she gave him the ghost of a smile and closed her eyes. 

Fifteen minutes later, a few nurses and tech support members of the hospital brought up a dialysis machine. Tech support were all clad in dark green uniforms with TECH inscribed on the backs. They hooked up everything, setting a laptop computer on a low shelf. The younger Doctor helped to input and connect all the terminals together, wielding his sonic screwdriver like a sword. Dr. Fohem and the older Doctor set up the girls on dialysis, using needleless equipment to intubate them. 

"Have you got the protein or DNA code?" the tech pressed a few keys and handed the younger Doctor a small rectangular jump drive. He inserted it into the data port terminal, watching the red light appear. The program automatically started, running prescan checks on the software it would use momentarily. The older Doctor applied the skin salve to open up the pores on Sarah's arm, putting the square shape with the circular center on the spot. He picked up the IV tube, then put it into the circular hole, with a small sucking sound, the tube latched into place, forming an airtight seal. 

"All ready," he did the same to Sienna, then stood by his future self. " Well, here goes everything." the younger Doctor pressed the start key and the system began to work, making a small whirring sound as the pumps were startled into action. 

"How long will this take?" 

Dr. Fohem paused. "About an hour. It should be uneventful, Doctors, I would suggest getting caught up on your rest." exiting the room, Dr. Fohem left the door ajar. 

Both of the Doctor sat down, watching the laptop's progress as the red blood went through the clear plastic tubes and back into the girls' bodies. 

"Tedious," the older Doctor muttered to himself. "All so terribly tedious." 

"The wait is, yes," his future self agreed. "But in the end, it will be worth the wait." 

"I know you're right." 

Twenty minutes later, the older Doctor noticed Sarah's hand moving. He immediately latched on to it as she locked eyes with him. Sarah's eyes turned skyward, then began to register the fact that she had a tube down her throat to help her breathe. The Doctor's blue eyes grew bigger as he saw her start to panic and pull off the mask. Taking her hands in his grip, he tried to talk her down to calm her, but it only made her more agitated. After a moment, he relented and carefully pulled the tube out of her throat. The second it was out, she gasped and began to cough wildly. 

"Are you happy now, Sarah Jane?" he released her hands from his grip and sat back down. When her fit subsided, she glared at him for a moment and relented, her face softening up some. 

"What the devil happened to me?" 

"Can you breathe normally?"

"Yes. Now answer me, if you please." 

He gave off the same speech Dr. Fohem did. Her eyes widened a little bit, then she looked over at Sienna, who was lying motionless. "How is she doing?" 

"All right, by our expectations. Sienna was hit harder than you were." 

"Why is that? Does it just naturally hit some people harder like the common cold?" 

The Doctor pulled out his ever present white wax bag and chewed on his favorite treat while contemplating the question. "I don't quite know, Sarah. Her Doctor knows that she can't absorb iron like the rest of you humans. All I know is that she's allergic to various things, which doesn't explain the iron problem, really." 

"Like what?" 

"I know she's allergic to pollen, bee stings, and aspirin in all forms. She does have food allergies as well. It's rather a lot, too much for me to name off the top of my head." 

"Right. I'll ask her when we're back on board the TARDIS. Where are we, anyway?" 

"Planet Zognoss. It has one of the finest hospitals in the cosmos." 

"Oh, all right, then." she lay back down and began to count the tiles on the ceiling. The younger Doctor was intensely studying the program's process through, monitoring the results carefully. 

Sienna stirred, slitting open her eyes and looking at her Doctor. He grinned at her, making her manage a smile back. Sienna thought the Doctor's grin-in any of his incarnations-was truly electric and very contagious. She was not intubated down her throat, so she was able to remove the mask from her face and ask him what had gone on. He gave her the run down, glancing at the program now and then. 

"Mark called you." 

Her eyes grew darker for a moment. "I have no wish to speak to him." 

"Anyway, I told him the truth. You and Sarah were dying, Sienna." 

"What?! You told him of my intergalactic adventures?! Now I'll be shut up in the loony bin if I ever return to earth." 

"No you won't," he reassured her. " He wants you to call him back when you feel better." 

"Like that'll ever happen." 

"What have you got against him, Sienna? He seems nice enough and you've already apparently got a vendetta or something against him." 

"It's nothing I can go into right now, Doctor." 

"Suit yourself, I have no intention of prying. The main concern we have right now is getting you two out of this disease free." 

"All right. How long before we can go?" 

"When the program's done, you'll be observed for another hour, Sienna. Then, if the pathogen is truly cleaned out, it won't recur." 

"Fair enough. Once we're off this, can we go for a walk or something?" 

"I don't see why not." he smiled down at her, glancing at her vital signs. Her pulse was down to 60, normal for resting humans. Her blood pressure was equally good, 110/72, oxygen saturation 99 percent. Sarah's readouts were around the same, reassuring the Doctors they were doing well. Despite looking drawn and pale, both girls were alert now, though their fevers did descend to 102 for Sarah, 104 for Sienna. 

****

An hour later, Sarah and her Doctor were strolling the grounds of the hospital. She was clad in a purple robe, wearing her Ked sneakers. Outside, they found a picnic table, complete with a chess set someone had forgotten to take in with them. Sienna and her Doctor sat nearby, she was taking a deck of cards out from her vermilion colored robe. Sitting down nearby, she challenged her Doctor to a game of Rummy. 

"How good are you at this game?" he asked warily as she shuffled and doled out the cards. 

"Very good. Closest to five hundred points win the game. When you pick up from discard pile, you pick up the whole thing. Ace is low. Any questions?" 

"Nope. Let's start the game!" she giggled as they arranged their cards and put down any pairs they had. 

Half an hour later, the Doctor had beaten Sarah in chess, Sienna had beaten her Doctor in Rummy. Shuffling the cards together, she split the deck and handed one stack to her Doctor. 

"Let's play War. Do you know how?" 

"Other than the real thing, no." 

"It's very simple. We each put out a card faceup. If yours is greater than mine, say ten to a two, you win and take the two cards away. We keep going until someone has all the deck." 

The older Doctor and Sarah watched as the younger Doctor quickly got in the lead. After the game was done, he had quickly taken all the cards and was the winner. At the same time, Dr. Fohem came back with the blood test results. 

"You're free to go. The pathogen has been completely eradicated, thanks to the super dialysis machine. That's what they're calling it now." she smiled, shaking their hands and giving the girls their bags of personal items. 

"Thank you, Dr. Fohem. We'll come back here if any of us fall sick. Do you know much about Time Lord physiology?" Sarah asked. 

"We have a complete database." she said proudly.

"I meant to an overinflated ego." 

"Sarah," her Doctor scolded. "Let's get back to the TARDIS now." 

Once back into the TARDIS, the girls were ushered straight to bed. Discharge instructions had been for them to remain on bedrest for the rest of the day, take prescribed meds, and they would be all right the following day. Sarah and Sienna both went to their rooms with good natured grumbling, as the Doctors ran internal scans and diagnostic testing to find the leak. 

"I can't find any leak," the older Doctor was frustrated as he leaned against the console. "She's not yielding up anything." 

"Let's explore this a bit. Sarah and Sienna were in the garden that day, planting new flowers. The fountain is right near there, isn't it?" 

"Yes it is." 

"Then, let's run a chemical detection analysis on the water in the fountain. Maybe something exploded." they took up necessary equipment and began to head towards the gardens, making sure that the girls were in bed on the way. At the fountain, both kneeled down and took a sample of the water. Two kinds of test strips were taken out of a kit, each had one. They put the strips into their samples of water and watched as the color faded away. 

"Just as I thought. It's TARDIS reactor fluid. A pipe did break down there, now we must go and fix it." the older one proclaimed. 

Sienna heard the Doctors disappear into the TARDIS elevator and go all the way down in it. Stretching out in her enormous bed, she rolled onto her stomach and picked up her cell phone. Hesitating, she flipped it open and looked into her phone number directory. Her fingers lingered on Mark's number, but she really didn't want to call him. Just then, her door opened, and Sarah came in. 

"Did the Doctors go off to fix whatever it was that nearly killed us?" 

Sienna laughed. "Yes they did. If I know them, they'll take a long time fixing it because they won't have the right tools right off, etc." Sarah got on the bed with Sienna and looked down at the cell phone.

"Why don't you like him that much?" 

"I really don't know, Sarah. Maybe it's because he always has this bland poker face whenever I saw him, like a mask of indifference or something. The vibe I get from him is really....he doesn't care. He doesn't project a sensitive caring attitude and that unnerves me a bit. Like I don't really matter," she sighed. " I can't think of how to explain it better than that." 

"I think I understand it anyway," Sarah sat cross legged, thinking. "I bet he was schooled into keeping a dull indifferent poker face and attitude as to not connect with his patients and get in too personally. He has to keep them at a distance." 

"Makes sense, but I still don't like him that much," she put her cell phone away. "I'll not call him." 

"If you think so. I better get back to my room before the Doctors yell at me for being up and around. What is it you Americans call being yelled at?"

"Bitch us out." 

"Lovely. See you later." 

"'Bye, Sarah," Sienna laughed. "Now I shall try to rest a bit. God, I miss K9." she flopped onto the bed and soon fell asleep. She was sleeping so soundly, when her Doctor came in to check on her, she did not rouse. Wiping the grease off his hands, the TARDIS pipe fixed up, he drew a thin blanket over her prone form quietly. The older Doctor stood in the doorway, the younger signaled him to remain quiet as he tucked the blanket in tightly. 

"Good night, Sienna," the younger Doctor pecked her on her cheek, closing the door and turning off the light behind him. 

"How is she doing?" the older one asked in a hushed tone as they walked to the console room.

"Better. I checked her over and her fever's abated." 

"So has Sarah's. I think they're both pretty well cured. They can get up and walk around tomorrow." 

"I'll say. Where are we flying to now?" the TARDIS bucked, sending both Doctors off balance. The older one clenched the console, splayed out over it, while the younger one grabbed onto the doorframe. When the bucking stopped, they both heard a loud crashing sound and the entire TARDIS went black.

"Wherever we were flying to, we're there now." the older one's voice sounded.

A snort was heard in the darkness. "Tell me about it."


	14. Snow and Cybermen

Snow and Cybermen

Action/Adventure/

4/10/Sienna/Sarah/Cybermen

A/N Same thing, older means the older looking Doctor(4th), younger means younger looking(10)

"The emergency lights should come on." the older one announced, righting himself by the console. 

"Maybe she needs a good bang," the other one felt his way to the console and rapped on it. " Nope. Let's see. Have you got flashlights here?" 

"Yes, in the TARDIS emergency kit over here." going over to the far side of the TARDIS, the older one knelt down and felt for a small latch. Pulling open a trapdoor, he fumbled in the darkness, looking with his hands to find the two giant flashlights he usually kept. Feeling a long cylinder, he pulled up one of the thick flashlights, fumbled for the switch, then turned it on. Handing it to his future self, he picked up the second and turned it on as well. They stood up, shutting the trapdoor, then walked into the TARDIS.

"Strange. Our emergency lights should have come on by now. Whatever it is knocked out the power cells, usual and backup ones too." 

"I heard a muffled explosion down where we were repairing the pipe earlier. Let's head down there and report back to the girls with what went wrong." the younger one decided, opening up a door in an alcove off the main hall. They went down three levels, then examined the TARDIS power grid. 

"The energy crystals are completely shot," the older one discovered. " We're lucky that they aren't destroyed. You know this is like the lungs of the TARDIS while the Eye Of Harmony is the heart of her." 

"Yes, that's right. What went wrong?" the younger one agreed, examining the wires and cables intricately. " Everything down here appears to be fine." 

"We've got to restore at least the backup power for the life support system. Without it, we'll all suffocate." he found the backup power supply, then discovered the wires weren't connected from the supply to the TARDIS. Taking a long electrical cable, he wired the TARDIS in, then used his sonic screwdriver to light up the instrument panel. Choosing lights and life support, he was rewarded with the emergency lights popping on and the life support system start working again. 

"Oh my sweet Rassilon," the younger Doctor turned the older one around. " Look." 

"How could we have missed that?" a cybermat was on the floor, chewing through wires happily, feeding on the energy. The little silver colored rodent looked at them, making the chirping noise, beginning to move towards them. 

"We need gold dust. Stay here and make sure it doesn't go anywhere." the older Doctor dashed off, going up the three levels, panting. He rushed into his room, pulled out a small red plush velvet bag, then bounded back downstairs. The younger Doctor was standing his ground, staring down the cybermat. 

"Ready when you are." the cybermat looked at the other Doctor, who shook gold dust into his hand, then cast it at the rodent. It jumped like it had been hit by a bolt of lightning, then lay limp on the floor. 

"No wonder the TARDIS looked fine when we were in here last. Look," they found a small round metallic object that had been broken through. "A cybermat is a rodent, biting the victims and infecting them with a plague. Sarah once had it, I just barely managed to save her life. If this is around, we must look for a nest. There may be more of them." 

"We should reconnect the power sources and see if we can run a scan of the entire ship." 

"I'll use the backup power to do a scan, looking out for cybermats." the older Doctor pulled out the instrument panel again, selecting SCAN and EMERGENCY. The device clicked into gear, a small grid showed the progress of the ship scan. 

"I'll wake up and warn the girls," the younger Doctor threw open the stairway door. "If there are more of those buggers around, things could get really ugly." 

"Good thinking. I'll stay here and try to wire back in the power." 

The younger Doctor dashed upstairs into Sienna and Sarah's rooms. Giving the warning to Sarah, he then barged into Sienna's room through the adjoining door. Putting his hands on her shoulders, he rousted her from her dreams quickly. Her eyes sprang open and she jumped. 

"Doctor! What is it?" 

"Cybermats," seeing her confused expression, he rushed on. "We found a cybermat chewing through the electrical system on the TARDIS. Sarah's Doctor is trying to fix it right now. Until the emergency scan of the entire TARDIS is done, be on your guard. Only gold dust can kill the cybermats, keep this with you," he handed her an identical bag to the one the older Doctor had. "Don't let them bite you. Sarah can tell you a bit of what happened to her. She was poisoned and only a transmat could save her. There's no transmat station here, be on your guard." he warned. 

"Okay, okay," she put on a burgundy wifebeater shirt and her tan cargo pants. "I'm ready for anything." she put on socks and her sneakers. 

"Good girl. I'll call you if the situation changes, for better or worse." 

"Shouldn't we all be with you?" 

"For now, we need all the space we can get down there. It'll be a bit cramped with the two of us working." 

"OK, good. Should we girls stay in the console room?" 

"Yes. The emergency lights are a little brighter there. You'll be able to see the cybermats if there are more of them." 

"All right. Good luck down there." they went off in separate directions. 

Down below in the underbelly of the TARDIS, the older Doctor was using his sonic screwdriver to meld down the plastic coating on the wire. He pried open the wiring grid, removed the fried bit of wire, then stripped off the plastic coating, aligned it and fitted it into place. A quick jolt from the sonic screwdriver melted down the wire into place perfectly. He repeated the process a dozen times, then closed the wiring grid tightly. 

"All right, check on that scan," it was already about ninety percent done. Another twenty minutes and it would be done, he estimated. "Now for the energy crystals." 

"Energy crystals?" the younger Doctor bounced down the stairs, followed by Sienna. 

"What are you doing down here, Sienna?" tossing back his scarf, he plucked one of the energy crystals from it's holder, then examined it with the sonic screwdriver. 

"Interesting." she put her hand against the TARDIS wall and it hummed in response. Both Doctors fixed her with their identical stares as she looked around the power control center. Finally looking back at them, she said, "What?" 

"The TARDIS really likes you and Sarah now, doesn't she," the older Doctor held out the crystal to her. "Take that and breathe on it." 

"What?" 

"Come on, girl! Just do it, don't stand around parroting everything I say!" his tone was annoyed and amused at the same time. She took the crystal from him, noticing it immediately had a glare of light in the center of it. Raising it to her lips, she blew a small stream of breath right into it. The crystal expanded an inch, then the glow became stronger. 

"Can you get it to light up all the way?" Sienna huffed and puffed, getting it to light up a little more.

"Call Sarah. Maybe she and I can make it light up together." Sarah was called for, both girls exhaled a slow and steady stream of air directly into it. The crystal reacted, glowing brightly after a few seconds.

"Great!" the Doctor put the crystal back into it's holder. The other rows of crystals began to glow and emanate a faint light. 

"Um, what did we just do?" Sarah asked. 

"You just gave the TARDIS artron energy!" the younger Doctor exclaimed. 

"I don't quite get it." Sienna glanced at the huge grid of crystals in the wall. There were fourteen in a horizontal line, sixteen ran from the top of the wall to the bottom of it. 

"The TARDIS quite likes humans, almost as much as we Time Lords," the older Doctor began. "That artron crystal you breathed into harnessed your energy and now the entire grid is regenerating the power. All it takes is one." he grinned broadly. 

"How long will it take?" 

"About a day or so," the younger Doctor pulled open the door and they all started for the stairs. "No cybermats detected?" 

A quick scurry back to check the panel. "No." he went back up the stairs, following the others to the console room. 

"Then how about a little excursion on this planet?" he cracked open the TARDIS door and quickly shut it.

"Better get some warm clothes on, girls." the younger one cautioned, going into the wardrobe.

Sienna put on her blue cami top, black track pants and over that, snowpants. She put on her gunbelts, loaded her magnums, put her Leatherman, cell phone, and her knockout lipstick into a pocket of her winter coat. Putting on her fleece socks, she put on her hiking boots, put on the jacket, then added on a pair of gloves. Sarah dressed similarly, sans the gunbelt. Sienna put on a knitted woolen headband that covered her ears, as Sarah put on her gray hat. 

"Ready, Doctor." they called out, standing in the console room.

Wearing his brown overcoat and usual brown pinstripe suit with white canvas sneakers, Sienna's Doctor tucked in his cell phone and sonic screwdriver. Sarah's Doctor looked just like he'd had earlier, he didn't make any changes at all except a long black coat. They appraised the girls with their eyes, then nodded in the approving way. Sarah's smile lit up her face as she bypassed the console and stood with him, draping on a pink and black scarf. Sienna pulled her scarf out of her pocket, it was blue, black, and white, knit in a zigzag design.

"Nice scarf," the older Doctor told her with a grin. "Make it yourself?" 

"Nope. My grandma gave it to me two years ago. It's all I have left of her now." her expression turned sad for a moment.

"I'm sorry to hear that." 

"It's OK. Let's go on to adventure!" Sienna shifted her mood again as they opened up the doors into a blinding whiteness. 

****

The TARDIS automatically locked the door, so there was no need to turn around and lock it with his key. The Doctors looked around, the older one clutching his treasured hat as the winds blew, then subsided. Sarah and Sienna began to walk forward, in an instant they were gone from the Doctors' sight. 

"Snowball fight!" Sarah creamed Sienna in the side of her face. Sienna squealed, then picked up snow, molded it into a ball quickly and within seconds, they both were in a full fledged fight. A moment later, the Doctors caught up with them, attempting to give out a lecture about not going off alone without them, but got whitewashed in their faces by both girls. Sarah laughed, winging a snowball at her Doctor, who fended it off with his arm, then picked up snow, molded it, then ran after her. Sienna's Doctor gathered a big handful of snow, then plastered her back with it. She turned, giving him a shocked look, then pounced on him, knocking him down into the snow faceup. 

"Haha," she gloated, panting. "You can't always win." 

He laughed. "No, sometimes I know I can win, but I choose not to." 

With a laugh, she got up off of him, giving him a hand up. "Oh sure, take my glory!" 

The outlines of trees loomed up ahead. Sarah and Sienna both trudged up to them, looking out at the landscape. Dim outlines of a circular platform were visible, though from what, they didn't know. 

"Doctor," Sarah spoke, not caring which would answer. "What is that thing out there?" 

Both focused in the direction she was pointing in. "Looks like a landing pad for a ship." the younger Doctor said, narrowing his eyes as the winds suddenly abated. Sunlight beamed down onto the landscape, causing all of them to blink and look away. Sienna pulled out a pair of sunglasses from an inner pocket of her coat, then put them on. Everyone did likewise, shielding their eyes and hoping not to become snow blind. 

"Interesting. Maybe there's an underground colony here somewhere." the older Doctor muttered, thinking aloud. 

"That could be it. Anyway, let's march down there and find out, eh?" the younger Doctor stood up, offering his hand to Sienna, whose knees were cramped from kneeling. She stood up shakily, then began to follow her Doctor out to the landing pad. Sarah and her Doctor followed, soon the girls were trailing behind the men. Sienna and Sarah gossiped, trading jokes, looking around the icy tundra as the sun shone. 

About one thousand feet away from the landing pad, Sienna's foot went down into the snow, then she felt something wet. 

"Hold up, guys." she called, loud enough for them to hear her. Sarah went over to help, then suddenly both girls went down through the snow into an icy lake. Both knew how to swim, but their limbs were so numb, all they could do was float for a moment. 

"Hang onto the side, Sarah!" Sienna choked. "Just hang on! DOCTORS!" she screamed out with all her strength she had left. The Doctors turned around, saw them floundering, then dashed over to the rescue. The older one tested the snow around them, fearful of falling in as well. When it appeared to be safe, both knelt down and pulled the girls from the ice lake. 

"Are you all right? Sarah? Sienna?" their lips were turning blue. They were coherent enough to get up and start walking again, but reality quickly started to fade out to them. Sienna could not find the strength to articulate they were both in the throes of hypothermia and it was getting worse every minute. Sarah rapidly became confused and would try to talk, but they came out as slurring words. 

For a fleeting moment, Sienna thought about Jack and Rose on the movie Titanic, and how he had died of hypothermia. So this is what it felt like, she thought. Leo did a great job of acting that out. 

"Here we are!" she dimly heard her Doctor's voice ring out. Standing and shivering, both girls watched as the Doctors used their sonic screwdrivers to bash away a bit of ice from a bulkhead door handle. Breathing on it, the younger Doctor braced himself and pulled up. The bulkhead was a door set in the earth, iron rungs stood out into a pitch blackness. Without a qualm, he turned to Sienna and was about to ask if she would like to go first, when the look on her face made his hearts jump.

Her face was almost bloodless white with frostbite, a little red here and there was fading away. Her lips were blue. So was Sarah, he'd discovered, after looking at her. Their eyes were almost vacant, as if they were looking at something he couldn't see. 

"Oh, sweet Rassilon," he sucked in a breath. "Doctor, look at Sarah." 

He did, waving his hand in front of her face, but that did nothing. It was like they were statues of their former selves, staring blankly, without a hint of emotion. 

"Sarah? Oh, Rassilon. Come on, we'll get you into shelter." he maneuvered her to the rungs and told her to climb down. Mechanically, she obeyed him, stopping and standing still at the bottom. Sienna did the same thing, both Doctors latched hands with their companions and made them walk, knowing a little bit of exercise would help keep the feeling they hadn't already lost. 

Finally, they reached a manhole cover. While the older Doctor used his sonic screwdriver to unlatch it, the younger checked Sienna and Sarah's hearts. They were still beating, though not as fast, the pulse was slow and sluggish as the cold was overcoming them. 

"They're not going to last much longer like this. They won't even be able to walk now." he picked up Sienna, who's eyes closed immediately. The younger Doctor realized she had been pushing herself to keep up with him. Now that he was holding her, she could finally let go of her consciousness and black out into the sweet oblivion. The cover removed, the older Doctor did likewise with Sarah, surprised that she found the energy to drape her arm over his shoulders. Both of them moved on, grimly determined to find any sign of civilization beneath the tundra. 

A few minutes later, the tunnel came to a dead end. Looking down, the younger Doctor spotted a grille, which he proceeded to push down on with his foot and send the grille crashing down. 

"Who goeth here?" an inquisitive voice floated up to their ears.

"Travelers," the older Doctor went down first, then picked Sarah back up in his arms. "If you could help us, our friends have hypothermia from being outside too long." the person who'd inquired about who they were stood into view. The person had black and gold robes, alongside each vertical seam was a stripe of silver. A red cord dangled around the waist, the person was built like a human, but had four arms. Green skin showed where the robes did not reach, and the person's face had three eyes, all in a row. 

"Tsk. Been out playing too long have we?" the person spoke in a British accent. "I am Tharre, leader of the Quagforians. My assistant will help you to our medical center." a barked command, then another person came up to guide them. The younger Doctor noted the person was exactly the same, except for it had red instead of silver. He decided it must have been a chain of command. The leader or leaders had silver, assistants had red, etcetera. The medical center looked like it had been dug out of an enormous limestone cave, staff were running around like mad in it. 

"Come now, get them naked and put them each in a tub of cool water!" two attendants recieved the girls, stripped them down right then and there. Both Doctors looked away, preoccupied with cleaning out the pockets of the clothes, making sure no personal item was left unguarded. 

After twenty minutes, a little bit of hot water was put in around the girls, then the attendants repeated the process. Both Doctors were gratified to see a little bit of color return to their companions' cheeks, the natural red was slowly returning. Minor signs of frostbite on the girls' faces were evident, but the Doctors paid no attention to that. An hour later, the girls were wrapped up in hot blankets and taken to a room.

"Thank Rassilon we got out of that one." the older Doctor sat on the edge of Sarah's bed, which looked like an adult sized bassinet on the floor. 

"Thank Rassilon they got out of that one." the younger Doctor corrected, leaning in and examining the small signs of frostbite on Sienna's face. A small white mark on her left cheek, two inches away from her eye, and another similar mark, curving around the right side of her jawbone for three inches. Sarah had one just like it, except it was on the left side of her face, from the corner of her jawbone extending up to her ear. 

"Right. Anyway, once they're recovered, we can go explore this place. This must be Quagforia, a legendary planet in the Torian galaxy." 

"I've never heard of this place and I've been around." the younger Doctor mused. 

"Quagforia is on the uprise," a passerby told them. "With the celebration of a new alien species to our planet, we will raise awareness about our planet and increase tourist offworlders like you." 

"What alien species would this be?" the younger Doctor asked, dark brown eyes piercing the darkness in the room. 

"I shouldn't say. It's improper to spoil the surprise." 

"Really. Well, tell us who," the older Doctor tipped his hat back so he would see better. "We won't tell. We're travellers, so I bet we've already encountered them." 

"I reckon that one's right. You have been to Nerva?"

"Yes." 

"It came from the sky above, crash landing here a few days before you came. Metal men, was all they would say. Be at the council center by 9." 

"AM. We shall be there." 

"It crashed?" the younger Doctor inquired. 

"Yes. Metal men that will enrich our society." 

"Oh, boy," he sucked in a breath as he looked over at his incarnation. "This is not good. I wondered how we had picked up a cybermat when we hadn't been near the Cybermen or their planet. They're getting ready to make another factory to multiply and try to conquer the universe as we know it." 

"I take it you encountered Cybermen before." 

"We should wake up for the girls to tell them the story." 

****

Hours later, Sarah woke up first, carefully checking herself over for any injuries. She took a mental stock of herself, she was able to feel her extremities without them being cold, so she roused and opened up her eyes slowly. Her Doctor was right by her side, her hand in his, looking down at her. When she saw him staring at her, he flashed her the megawatt smile that lighted up his whole face. His hand went into the pocket of his red peacoat and offered her his favorite treat. 

"Of course, Doctor," she took it and grinned. " Where are we?"

"Torian galaxy, Quagforia. By the sights and sounds, I would guess intelligent insect life forms." he answered. 

"That figures. I mean, the place here looks like it was dug out of a cave or something." Sarah sat up. 

"It is. Sienna's already heard this story, so I should tell you," the younger Doctor sat up, looking intent. "On a parallel earth, my then companion and I fell through a rip in time in our TARDIS. We discovered a world a lot like the original earth, but with subtle differences. Anyway, they had these gadgets you put in your ears, you're able to hear the news, jokes, anything in them. What they didn't know was that it sent subliminal messages to hypnotize people and get them into Cybus factories where they're turned into Cybermen. We defeated them at that time by discovering in order to be total Cybermen, they had an emotional inhibitor. My companion and I cracked the code and foiled the plan, but this may be a little harder." 

"These are intergalactic Cybermen. They won't have inhibitors. Too bad we're not near Voga." 

"The planet of gold? Of course!" Sarah exclaimed. "Well, maybe some kind of dust will be able to clog up their respirators and kill them off. I mean, they were aliens once, enclosed in metal bodies." 

"It is a possibility, Sarah." was all the Doctor said as he tossed his scarf over his shoulder. 

"When do we leave?" 

"Tomorrow. We get up, get ready, then do some snooping around." 

"A good thing Sienna brought her combat gear. I have a feeling things could get hairy." the younger Doctor remarked as he reclined back against the mat of blankets laid out for him by an orderly. He rested his head against the back of the stone wall and closed his eyes. 

"Sienna hasn't woken up at all?" Sarah asked her Doctor.

"No, she hasn't. But she will." 

"I have no doubt, Doctor." 

"Sarah, you seem a little distant recently. Is anything bothering you?" he inquired, blue eyes looking into hers.

"Just some nightmares, Doctor. That's all." 

"Of what?" 

"I'm not sure. They just come and go. I remember what Sienna said about dreams that have certain meanings to them and I hesitate in mentioning them in case they come true." 

"Hidden meanings aren't a bad thing, Sarah." 

"I suppose not. Anyway Doctor, the thing is, they just come and go. I can't get a bead on them, what their meanings are, etcetera. It's driving me wild." 

"When we get done getting rid of the Cybermen, we'll help you figure this out. Go to sleep now, it'll be easier for you to focus on tomorrow." he told her, snuggling up in his mat of cloths and blankets. 

The colony had no sunlight, so the bright crystal lights that grew on the cave walls everywhere were turned off by the telepathic power of the leader Tharre. The crystals were reddish yellow, each were bright enough to pierce a darkness of twenty four feet long and sixteen feet wide. Night was commonly referred to as their quiet time, eight to ten hours of darkness where the residents could sleep soundly for as long as they wanted in those times. The Doctors and their companions slept well, not a sound was heard all 'night' long. 

Down at the furthest edge of the colony pointing to the west, a large vacant space went unused. A large spacecraft sat in the middle of it, above, there were planks and grass stuffed into a hole in the wall. A large plastic membrane like substance stretched out over the gaping hole, protecting the colony from the icy tundra winds. Small sounds were heard, but they were too far away from the colony to be heard. Dull clomping sounds, blue eerie lights flashed as robotic voices were spoken. Odd rock formations of every shape and color surrounded the craft, preventing it from being moved.

Work Quagforians, in their black and gold robes with green lining had built a podium on a small platform just in front of the downed craft. A banner had been folded up and put on the podium, ready to be strung up with a small thin root the next morning. 

Eight hours later, the younger Doctor woke up first, seeing the bright light from the crystals shining. He rubbed his eyes and looked out in the small hole carved through the wall. The colony was abuzz, Quagforians scuttled around, doing their business as usual. Sienna yawned, then looked over to the Doctor standing at the makeshift window. Stretching, she carefully got up to her feet, not disturbing the older Doctor and Sarah. 

The Doctor turned around, looking at Sienna wobble to her feet. He rushed over to help her, taking her arm and keeping her upright. She reached behind her, feeling the sash on her crudely fashioned hospital gown and tugging at it. 

"Sienna, let me show you to an empty room, all right?" he colored a bit, realizing what she was about to do. He guided her into the changing room, handed her the oilskin bag containing her personal items. Sienna cracked open the door and handed him her gown, fashioned out of green overdyed synthetic cotton, then continued her dressing. The Doctor put the gown in a big oilskin bin at the end of the hall, then went back. When Sienna reappeared, she was clad in her combat gear, her snow windpants and jacket hanging up on a hook in the wall.

"Very good, Sienna!" he applauded her semi loudly. She performed a little curtsy, then raised up her hand to examine the frostbite marks she had on her face. 

"They'll disappear in time," he reassured her. "Now for the other two. I have a feeling Cybermen are coming and we need to do some snooping." 

"Cybermen?" Sienna furrowed her brow, concentrating. "Oh, yeah! Now I remember the parallel earth, the Cybus factory thingie." 

"That's right. These are intergalactic Cybermen, they won't have any emotional inhibitor codes or anything like that. They are like the Daleks, programmed to do destruction and devastation, no feeling, etc." 

"But the Daleks have this tiny puny thing in them. Are the Cybermen true robots or like the Daleks in that respect?"

"The Cybermen are cyborgs, meaning they have both natural and artificial organs," he answered, realizing that Sarah was now fully awake. "The whole history of the Cybermen are that they have organic and synthetic parts to them. Earth has a twin planet, Mondas, they were once wholly organic. Then the Cybermen kept putting more and more artificial parts into themselves, so they are in a sense, more robotlike." 

"So they went OD with technology, did they?" Sarah asked, sitting upright.

"Yes, Sarah," the older Doctor took up the narrative now. " We can distinguish the Cyberleader by the black handlebars on their heads. Those handlebars help with their hearing. They are constantly revamping their cybersuits, they will look like this Doctor had seen them last, not by what we have seen." 

"That's right," the younger Doctor agreed. "They still have the Cybus industries logo on them, emotional inhibitor or no. At any rate, gold dust, being non corrosive, will suffocate them. Gold dust, gold tipped bullets or coins will also work." 

"Otherwise, being so mechanical in nature," the older Doctor grinned. "Extreme radiation can kill them, their own weapons can also do the job, along with solvents." 

"Solvents?" 

"Yes, Sarah. Anything that can disentegrate gold. Cleaning solvents, one example is turpentine, spot removers, nail polish remover, or perfumes." 

"Interesting. Well, with the info we can get from snooping around the downed spacecraft, we'll formulate some way to get the Cybermen to either retreat, or die," Sienna smacked her fist into her hand. " I'm up for a challenge." 

"I like your energy, Sienna," the older Doctor jumped up, followed by Sarah. "Get dressed, Sarah, we'll eat, then we'll go spying." 

At the front desk, the girls were checked out and released. The receptionist gave them energy bars, which they started on as soon as they'd left the grounds. Sienna paused, examining the ingredients, then passed hers to her Doctor. He took it, wordlessly understanding she was allergic to some of the ingredients used. They continued walking, following the signs to the celebration, which would begin in an hour's time.

"This is it," the older Doctor announced, picking up his sonic screwdriver from his pocket. "Shall we split up?" 

"Right," the younger Doctor acknowledged. "Sarah, you come with me. Sienna, stay with him." 

"I'm perfectly fine with that." Sienna and Sarah both said together.

****

A few moments later, the younger Doctor and Sarah had gone to another door on the opposite side of the spacecraft. Sienna, handing the older Doctor his hat he'd dropped on the ground, watched as he began to pick the lock. The sonic screwdriver wielded, he aimed it at the keyhole and twisted the base, producing the buzzing sound they'd both heard many times before. The lock popped, the Doctor went first, then Sienna. She swore under her breath, stumbling over a small pipeline, then regained her footing, glancing in back of them. 

The spacecraft hummed, little lights at random flickered on and off, piping was above and below them, the corridor was octagonal in shape. The Doctor began to walk down it cautiously, leaving Sienna with her small utility flashlight behind him. It was dark, very dimly lit, Sienna wrinkled her nose as she smelled something, then asked the Doctor what that was. 

"Metal," he gave a deep sniff. "It's like someone's welding or something." 

"Metal stinks when it burns? I would think it'd be the chemicals a welder would use when they weld." Sienna retorted, nearly tripping over the Doctor as he stopped suddenly.

"What is it?" he examined a keypad with strange symbols written on each button. 

"Odd. No language I've ever seen before, that's for sure." she remarked, looking around while he examined the symbols further. 

"Me neither." he said shortly. Sienna shined a light at the end of the corridor, revealing a closed door. 

"Time for you to figure out what combination of symbols we use to get through to the other side then, Doctor." she walked back to him, tapping the flashlight against the plastic covering of mechanical screens and banks of monitors. 

"There are nine symbols here. The total of possible combinations makes it..." 

"81," Sienna supplied. " What, don't you know simple multiplication?" he glowered at her for a moment, then turned back to the keypad. 

"We can't spend two hours here, trying them all, even if we did go at the rate of one combination per minute." 

"81 minutes, Doctor. An hour is sixty minutes, remember?"

"Yes, I do," he snapped. " Can we get back to the problem, please?"

It would be an hour and twenty minutes, not two hours." Sienna enjoyed the evil look he shot her, knowing she was better at basic math than he was. The sonic screwdriver proved no help at all. The Doctor thought for a moment, then brought out a small vial from one of his endless pockets. He dabbed his finger into it, then smeared it onto the panel. 

"Shine a light over here, Sienna." she did, and three buttons glowed. 

"What is that stuff, Doctor?" he let her take the vial and examine it closely. 

"Flourescent dye?" he took it back and stuffed it into his pocket. Pressing the sequence, the door opened up from the right side, sliding aside with a hiss of steam. 

"Clings to anything, thus making it visible," the Doctor smirked. "If the Cybermen had been touching something that would leave a trace behind, which they had, the dye would pick it up." 

"Why didn't your screwdriver work?"

"Because there was no lock," he answered her. " It's not able to give me a readout of what goes where, it just pops open any lock controlled with a key or a number code." 

"Gotcha," Sienna stopped in the hallway. "Where to now?" 

"Down, I would think," he found a ladder. "Whatever the Cybermen are planning, we will figure it out and stop the celebration before it begins." he swung onto the ladder, then used his hands and feet to climb down. Sienna had a different approact. She climbed onto the ladder, then used only her hands to zap down to the floor in an instant. Landing smoothly, she turned to face the Doctor, who was giving her an odd look. Sienna gave a mock shrug, not caring what he thought. The Doctor rolled his eyes at her, flipped his scarf over his shoulder, then gripped the hand rail, looking out over the basement of the ship. Sienna joined him, seeing spotlights turned on far away, suggesting the underbelly of the spacecraft was quite vast indeed.

"Oh my God," Sienna exhaled. " Doctor, what do you think those are?" 

Rows and rows, illuminated by small lights, were several upright pieces of machinery. The Doctor found a staircase and climbed down lower to investigate. Sienna, following him, pulled out one of her guns. She warily stayed close to him as he continued on, seemingly oblivious to the potential danger they were in. He stopped at the beginning of one row, then looked down. Sienna gasped. 

"Doctor, what is this?" 

"These, Sienna, are the Cybermen." the handlebar heads, the Cybus industry C, they looked exactly like the ones her Doctor had described to her earlier. 

"Why don't they attack?" 

"They're not activated. Put your gun away," he made no attempt to hide the disgust in his voice. "You humans and your weapons." Sienna shot him a look, but holstered her weapon as he said. Bullets on metal would have no effect whatsoever. 

An alarm suddenly rang out as the klaxon began to wail, flashing a bright green light. Sienna and the older Doctor looked up. 

"Time to go." he grabbed her hand and rushed her back to the stairs, dashing back up the ladder and out the corridor before the Cybermen could come and investigate what was wrong. 

Running a distance away from the spacecraft, the older Doctor and Sienna dodged behind a rock formation, looking for their comrades. 

The younger Doctor and Sarah had encountered a similar sight, thousands of rows of unactivated Cybermen. The Doctor had noticed a computer terminal with a program flashing on. On it was a simple bar graph, indicating levels were in the forties so far. 

"Doctor, what is this?" he leaned in and looked at the control panel. 

"Cybermen knowledge upgrade," he read out. "Aha! So the Cyberleader and only a few others are the ones activated now. The Cybermen down here are recieving a complete mental upgrade, entire schematic design of the Quagforia colony and all blueprints of their architecture." 

"But why would they need to know that?" 

"Invasion, Sarah." the Doctor eyed the computer terminals lining the vast chamber and all the cables running to the inert Cybermen. 

"Why can't they all just live in peace without killing or conversion of each other?" disgusted, Sarah leaned against a wall, accidentally tripping the alarm. 

"Because then the universe would be boring!" he exclaimed, taking her arm and getting her to run with him out the door.

Outside the spacecraft, the two teams caught up and ran like mad for the nearest cave. Sarah pushed aside the rocks, then ducked into it. Sienna followed, then the two Doctors huddled inside with them. It was tiny and cramped, both companions had to sit in their Doctor's laps in order to make enough room. The younger Doctor looked down to Sienna, who was pulling out her cell phone and checking for any missed calls. 

"Rather a bad time to be checking messages?" he asked her. She holstered her phone, giving him a look. 

"I was also checking the time, Doctor. We have ten minutes before the celebration begins. What did you and Sarah see?" 

"The Cyberleader is downloading information, from schematic diagrams to blueprints of every house and building on this entire colony, getting ready for a grand scale invasion. You?"

"All the Cybermen, must be hundreds or thousands of them, in rows in the basement of the ship. We had to abandon as that klaxon started to wail." 

"That was my fault, sorry," Sarah admitted. " I leaned without looking." 

Sarah's Doctor gave her his big grin. "Not a problem, Sarah. We found out what we needed to know. Besides, we're certain a mass scale invasion will be launched at any time. At any rate, we need a plan to send these Cybermen into deep space." 

****

"Now we just walk around and we can sneak back in with everyone at the celebration, all right?" the younger Doctor said low, as they all left the cave. 

"But Doctors, what will we do? Just go around pulling plugs at complete random?" Sarah protested, tagging along to keep up with her Doctor's long strides. 

Both Doctors paused, deep in thought, conversing with their eyes. "Why don't we contaminate the data? I mean, the downloading process is only in the fortieth percentile, so far. Sarah, you and your Doctor go into the cockpit and-"

"Sabotage the pilot controls!" the older Doctor finished off. "Perfect so far." 

"So far?" Sarah gripped her Doctor's arm. 

"It is a fly by the seat of your pants type venture, I grant you." he watched, walking as the crowds assembled in front of the podium with the spacecraft in the background. 

"In other words, you just pulled this haphazard plan out of your ass." Sienna supplied, guiding them to the rear of the ship. They found the doors they had entered in earlier, then separated to get into each side of the ship. The Doctor and Sarah headed for the front, the younger Doctor and Sienna went down into the basement of the ship in the stern hull. 

"Take a look, Sarah," the older Doctor brushed aside the roller chair, kneeling down to pull out the paneling, exposing the wires underneath it. "Just keep guard and warn me if any Cybermen are coming." taking out his sonic screwdriver, he proceeded to pull out wires and reattach them to various other places. Sarah pulled out the chair and sat in it, facing towards the doors where they had come in. 

How long is this going to take, Doctor?" she asked in a polite and patient tone. 

"Only a few minutes, Sarah, then we can go and rejoin the others down in the basement. I say, do you see that small screen on the opposite commander console?" he called. Sarah turned to the adjacent console and saw a six inch plasma screen with bizarre looking symbols floating around. 

"What about it?" 

"Press any button and that will bring up the progress of downloading on the unactivated Cybermen." she did so, looking at the progress with her keen eyes. 

"Progress is only about fifty six percent, Doctor." she told him. More buzzing from his screwdriver, a small bang, and the Doctor erupted from the bottom, blinking smoke out of his eyes and cursing in Gallifreyan. He waited a moment for the smoke to clear, then dove back in. Sarah watched the celebration speeches throughout the small windows the spacecraft had. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but knew they were speeches and things like that. 

"What do you think the Cybermen will do to these poor people?" Sarah idly thought out loud. The Doctor straightened up, kneeling down and pressing a few keys on the keyboard in front of him.

"In short, convert them to Cybermen and declare this another one of those devastated wastelands they brag about destroying." he clicked the keys and entered an autopilot system. The Doctor clicked away, tapping on the keys, manipulating the software. 

"What exactly are you telling it to do?" 

"To find a black hole back in deep space and get close enough so it'll be trapped in orbit. This ship won't have enough energy or fuel, whatever it may use as fuel, to escape." he pressed enter, then looked over at Sarah.

"Done." they both got up and went to find the younger Doctor and Sienna. 

Down in the basement, the younger Doctor found the computer console and adjacent terminals, then pulled out a chair to sit down in. Sienna waved her magnum gun around, wary of any danger. Satisfied, she put the gun away and sat down in the second chair. The Doctor waved his sonic screwdriver around the casing of the computer mainframe, but nothing happened. 

"Deadlock seal!" he exclaimed. "Oh, rats! Well, we need another way to get into the mainframe. Sienna?" 

Sienna looked at the casing, raising her eyebrow. "Deadlock seal....Doctor, this is biometrics!" 

"Of course!" he inspected the small rectangle on the mainframe casing. "How do we bypass something like that, though?" 

"Biometrics...it's programmed to read a certain someone's retina structure, fingerprints, etc. Cybermen are not organic beings anymore, so why would they have biometric locks on all their stuff?" Sienna questioned, tapping her forefinger against her chin in a staccato rhythm.

"They don't, Sienna," the Doctor picked up the computer tower and put it on one side. "That's just a decoy lock to confuse us. Did work for a little bit, didn't it?" he grinned, revealing at the bottom, a combination lock. His sonic screwdriver buzzed, making the lock click open, then he examined the guts of the mainframe computer. Sienna sat and watched, occasionally shifting glances to the unactivated Cybermen standing in rows. 

"Right. Now, we connect this hard drive to this terminal..." he spoke his thoughts out loud as Sienna watched him. After a moment, he straightened up, then began to type on the console keyboard, fingers flying. 

"Corrupting the data, Doctor?" 

"Nothing like a little corruption!" he chirped with a grin. "Sienna, I want you to shut down the download terminals. There should be six main switches on those six pillars over there," he showed her. "This data when downloaded, will confuse them terribly." 

"How long before the download now is complete?" he had eradicated everything about Quagforia and the Torian galaxy and filling the lines in with random number and letter sequences. 

"One minute. It'll take you that long to get to the first switch back there and shut down! When the download is finished, they'll automatically activate! Go!" he barked, Sienna took off, lightfooted as a cat down to the first switch. She looked up when she reached it, then noticed it was up a little higher than she'd like. The large flat switch was bright blue in color, Sienna studied it for a moment. A keypad identical to the one the older Doctor had found earlier was there. Furrowing her brow, Sienna tried to recall the symbol combination, but couldn't. Pulling out her Leatherman, she unscrewed the panel top, then came across the red and green wires. 

"Now, Sienna!" her Doctor called. She bit her lip, then touched the two wires together. The light flashed red, then the entire row of unactivated Cybermen remained still, all lights shutting down. Sienna repeated the process for the four other switches, but could not reach the sixth switch in time. The Cybermen began to move as Sienna and the Doctor watched for a split second, before getting out of the spacecraft altogether. 

The older Doctor and Sarah had seen on the monitor that five rows of Cybermen had failed to activate. Their grins were short lived as they saw the sixth row were operational. Getting up, they hightailed it out of the ship before the advancing Cybermen had time to reach them. The foursome met at the same place they had earlier, and by mutual decision, they all rushed to the podium where the celebration speeches were still going on. Sienna and Sarah followed as the Doctors dashed up to the podium, brushing aside Tharre and the Cyberleader. 

"Native Quagforians," the older Doctor spoke. "You are all betrayed! The Cyberleader here has an army of Cybermen ready to take down this planet and destroy it completely! Not one of you will be spared! They mean to turn you into Cybermen just like they are!" 

A collective outcry formed, most of it in disbelief. The younger Doctor's warning was cut short as the Cybermen approached, taking both Doctors in their heavy grips. The Cyberleader stood, pushing Tharre out of the way and onto the shocked natives. The wave of Cybermen armed themselves with their weapons and began to shoot aimlessly. Sarah and Sienna both gaped at the destruction, then came back to reality as their Doctors were marched away to the spacecraft. 

"Sienna! Sarah!" the Doctors shouted. 

"Doctors!" they screamed back over the Cybermen chanting and screams of the dying. 

"Get back to the TARDIS!" the younger Doctor motioned towards his pocket, a gesture Sienna saw, but didn't understand. They were taken into the spacecraft and it lifted off, plunging through the patched hole it had made earlier when it had landed. A blinding wall of snow whipped through the opening as Tharre shouted commands over the screaming wind. 

"Come on Sarah, back to the TARDIS like they said." Sienna pulled out her windpants and jacket from where she had stowed them earlier. Sarah numbly donned her rough weather gear, then both exited through the giant hole. Grappling and climbing their way to the top, they stood up on the rim in the deep snow, then looked around to see where they were. 

"There's the TARDIS!" Sarah shouted over the whirling blizzard. Sienna strained her eyes and could make out a very small blue box sitting on the horizon. Both girls were much more vulnerable to the cold now, but forced themselves on, ignoring the coldness. Their bout with hypothermia they put out of their minds as they straggled through the deep snow to get to the ship. Sarah wore the TARDIS spare key around her neck like a good luck charm at all times. 

On board the spacecraft, the Doctors had been unceremoniously dumped in a containment cell. The Cybermen gone, the Doctors looked at each other, taking a bunk each. The younger one stretched out and yawned while the older looked in bemused amazement. 

"Shouldn't we be thinking of how to get out?" he asked pointedly. 

"First I'll need to get my strength back," he closed his eyes. " I'll wait until the girls have gotten into the TARDIS, then I'll contact them." 

"And how exactly is that possible?" 

The younger one chuckled and put his hands behind his head. "Oh, it is. Trust me." 

"If you say so. I mean, I always trust myself." 

"There's a good Doctor." 

Half an hour later, Sarah opened up the TARDIS lock and both stumbled inside. Sienna headed for the wardrobe immediately, to change out of her snowgear. When she came back, she wore a simple purple tank top with black jeans, sneakers, and her gunbelts. Sarah hadn't changed yet, just taking off her jacket. They leaned over the console, unsure of how to use the TARDIS. 

"Do you think they meant for us to use this?" 

"The TARDIS? No," Sienna immediately answered. "We can't do anything until they come back." 

****

They were still staring at the TARDIS when Sienna went into the library. Sarah went to shower and change, noticing all the dirt and soot that had gotten onto her skin from the Doctor's tooling around in the spacecraft. Sienna was stretched out onto the long sofa, dozing idly, when a sudden noise attracted her attention. 

"No more cybermats!" she groaned, then realized the sound was her cell phone. "Who the hell is calling me at a time like this?" 

The digital readout of her phone read ONE NEW MESSAGE. Sienna punched the button and a text message popped up. 

"Oh my God," she jumped up and headed off in the direction of Sarah's bedroom. "SARAH!" 

Sarah was just coming out of the shower, towel wrapped around her head turban style as she wore her bathrobe. She laid out her pajamas, white, blue, pink, and green striped pants with a green t-shirt top. Sienna barged in, causing her a fright.

"Sienna, what is it?" 

"Have you seen the Doctor program coordinates into this thing?" 

"Yes. What is it?" she repeated. 

"This. It's a text message from my Doctor. He says not to do anything, he and your Doctor can transmat back down here and join up with us." 

"Text message?" 

"Twenty first century technology. It's a long story and I couldn't explain it very well. Anyway, they know we know how to put in coordinates, so we must not do anything like that, under any circumstances. We must pull the green switch, so nobody but the Doctors can get in." 

"His controls are isomorphic, anyway," Sarah followed her. " So we can't operate them." 

"I know. There," the doors were locked shut. " Now, we just wait for them to come to us." 

"I don't like to wait." they went off to their rooms.

"Nor I, but we have to trust them, Sarah. They'd do the same for us if the situation was flipped. Maybe not the same situation, but a similar one on earth." 

"I know, I know." 

Two Cybermen stood at the entrance of the Doctors' cell. Unlocking it, it slid up into the doorframe with a small hiss. 

"You have been summoned." one said in a dull monotone robotic voice. The blue light flashed on in it's mouth hole when it spoke. 

"About time, it's getting claustrophobic in here." the older Doctor jumped up, followed by his younger self. They were marched right to the cockpit, where the Cyberleader was sitting on what looked like a bright metal throne. Two Cybermen were flying the spacecraft, adjusting the controls as necessary. Both Doctors were put in front of the Cyberleader, hands put in metal handcuffs latched in front of them. 

"You are the Doctors." the leader stated. 

"Right you are!" the younger Doctor proclaimed. " Right here in front of you! What can we do for you today?" he was cut off by a Cyberman whacking him in the back with it's weapon. 

"Why have you chosen to interfere with us?" 

"Because we don't like seeing other innocent life forms being turned into Cybermen," the older Doctor spoke up. "We have seen your destruction and devastation, we have seen your tomb on Telos, and on Nerva." 

"Time Lords are incompatible." 

"Cybermen. So capable of blunt observations, yet incapable of carrying on a direct conversation." the younger Doctor was flippant, brown eyes silently defying the Cyberleader.

"You will be deleted." 

"So what else is new?" they both said together as they were led off. The older Doctor sneaked a look at the drive console, the one he had mucked with earlier. He noted the autopilot was on, it would engage the black hole coordinates within minutes that he had programmed in earlier. 

Marched down to the stern end of the ship, the Cybermen guards opened up a door using the keypad symbol system. The older Doctor was firmly strapped down onto a table, while the younger one looked around for anything to be used as a weapon. He noticed a sign bearing a biohazard symbol on one door. 

"What is that for?"

"The entrance to spare organic parts." one answered. 

"I thought you weren't organic anymore." he let himself be put onto the table and strapped down.

"The Cyberleader is. He is an old model which has had many upgrades." the Cybermen left.

"Ah, and so the Cyberleader is old, like we are," the older Doctor mused. "Interesting. We can use this against him. Or it." 

"We can't," the younger Doctor reminded him. "We need to find the transmat station and get out before the ship goes into orbit around the black hole." 

A cybermat came into the room then, observing the Doctors and slithering up onto the table. It bit the tough leather straps, melting it through, then arched it's head back, ready to bite the Doctor. The older one quickly threw it off, smashing it's head against a wall and destroying it. Both Doctors picked up the cybermat and proceeded to dissect it. The younger Doctor thought for a moment, then went into the biohazard room, then dashed back out, producing bottles of turpentine, acetone, and various other cleaning solvents. They mixed it up, putting it into the cybermat, then wired it so they could use remote controls on it. The task took a few hours to complete and when they were done, the Cybermen guards came into the room.

"Here goes everything." the older Doctor used the remote control to attack the first Cyberman, it fell to the floor. The second attack was just as successful, leaving visible marks where the cybermat had bitten it. The metal began to corrode and melt, falling away in pieces. Both Doctors winced at the smell and realized that the black hole was imminent. They got out into the corridor, then began to dash to the transmat station they had passed by earlier. 

"I'll set the beam for Quagforia," the younger Doctor did so, using his sonic screwdriver to open up the panel and detach the emergency override, in case the Cybermen tried to botch the transmat. "Here's hoping." he jumped back into the transmat spot, both heard the familiar sound and disappeared.

Back on Quagforia, they materialized in Tharre's palace. 

Tharre himself was sitting on his throne, staring dejectedly out the carved window as the Cybermen ravaged the streets of the colony. Smoke rising from numerous fires, screams of the dead and dying permeated the air. 

"Tharre, my friend," the younger Doctor went to him. "Do you have any radiation type materials here? Extreme radiation will kill them." 

"We are an insect colony, Doctor. We have no knowledge of radiation." 

"Hmmmm, what's this?" the older Doctor sniffed a big jug. "It's common household paint thinner! Do you have more of this?" 

Tharre looked up. "Gallons of it out in the warehouse. Why?"

"It's a solvent. This will rid you of the Cybermen. I suggest if you have an internal pipelining system that runs underneath the colony, you dump this into the water system and there goes the Cybermen." 

"That's right," the younger Doctor added. "They wouldn't stand a chance." 

Tharre's three eyes came alive once more. "Then I shall order it at once! Thank you, Doctors. I hope you will come back here someday." 

"You're welcome. We, together, or separately, may come back. Only time will tell." the pun did not do unnoticed as Tharre made a cricket like noise, the insect laugh. 

The Quagforians showed the Doctors an easy route to the TARDIS, bid them an enthusiastic goodbye, then the Doctors let themselves into the TARDIS. Going for their companions' rooms, the younger Doctor bent over Sienna and wrapped her up into a tight hug. In Sarah's room, the older Doctor was doing the same thing to Sarah. 

"Sienna, your beloved Time Lord is here," he spoke quietly. "We escaped, like I said." 

"Mmmm hmmm." was all the reaction he got. The Doctor looked down and brushed her hair away from her face. She was too deeply asleep and he would not wake her up. He met his other self in the hallway, having reached the same conclusion. The Doctors went into the console room, programming the TARDIS to dematerialize. 

A buzzing sound attracted the younger Doctor's attention. He pulled out his cell phone and read a new message:

GR8 2 HAVE U 2 BACK. LUV S&S. 

Uttering a laugh, he showed the text message to his scarf clad self. He had to translate text message speak so that he would understand it. 

"What century is she from again?" 

"2007 or the twenty first century." 

"Right," he flipped a lever. "Well, where to next?"


	15. Mystery Planet

10/4/Sienna/Sarah

A/N: 4, older, 10, younger(looking)

"Oh my Gooooood," Sienna staggered out of her room on the TARDIS, looking around blearily. " What happened to me last night?" 

Sarah appeared, looking as equally disheveled as Sienna. Both had bloodshot eyes, tousled pillow hair, their pajamas were rumpled up and messy. The Doctors, standing by the console, looked at them in mild amusement. 

"What do you remember?" the younger one asked, flipping on a switch.

"We landed somewhere, we went in with the locals, but I can't remember a thing!" Sienna leaned against the doorjamb, her hands on her head.

"Sarah?" the older one looked at his companion critically as she swayed a little on her feet, then righted herself.

"Nothing." was all she said.

"Right," the younger Doctor exchanged a look with the older one. "We went to Newellian 8. It was their new year celebration and they have the same liquor practices they do on earth. Before we knew it, you both we had to drag you both home, completely wasted. He found you, Sarah, making out with a guy in the back alley, while I found you, Sienna, performing an impromptu striptease for some....adoring men." 

"Oh, crap," Sienna sank down to sit on the floor. "I need a pain patch, my head." 

"Me too." Sarah echoed her. Both Doctors went to their companions, giving them what they asked for. Without further adieu, they picked up the girls and deposited them back into their beds. Tucking them in, they watched as the girls' expressions of pain evened out as the patches began to work their magic. Sarah took the water and ibuprofen her Doctor handed her, then stretched out in bed. 

"Did I make a scene?"

"Well," her Doctor chuckled, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Tongue wrestling with a complete stranger in public isn't considered making a scene anymore, by your earth standards. No, you didn't. You were a fun drunk to get into the TARDIS, trying to feel me up every second." 

"I didn't!" 

"You did," he laughed. " It was an enjoyable little fondle, but I didn't let you proceed further, mind you. You were drunk, and I have to admit, I rather enjoy telling you this, your face is a nice shade of pink." 

"Doctor!" Sarah smacked him with a pillow and pouted. The Doctor laughed, tousling her hair a little more. He straightened up and tucked her in again, watching as she closed her eyes. 

"So, Doctor," Sienna spoke as he offered her acetominephen and water, which she took. "How badly a fool did I make of myself?"

"The striptease was pretty good for you," he giggled. "Those men were drooling. No, the part was when I got you into the TARDIS, where you turned and proceeded to flash me." 

"I did not!" Sienna exclaimed, sitting up. "You're lying!" 

"Hey, booze makes you forget what you do when you're sloshed," he reminded her. "When did you get that tattoo on your left....friend? I don't remember seeing it the last time and only time we ever had sex." 

"It's a henna one, Doctor. I will totally abstain from drinking now!" she groaned, draping a hand across her forehead in a dramatic motion. Her Doctor laughed at her fondly as he pulled the bedclothes up tightly. 

"I would hope so." 

"You Time Lords get drunk at all?" he walked to the door and then turned around as she closed her eyes. 

"We have a very high tolerance for alcohol in all forms, Sienna. So no, we don't." the Doctor shut her door and killed the hallway lights, knowing the girls would be temporarily sensitive to the brightness. He met his former self walking up to him, long scarf dragging on the floor. 

"I'll give them a couple of hours to sleep off their hangovers," the older one spoke. "We should feed them after that, light things after all that liquor they imbibed last night." 

"A little ginger ale will help settle their stomachs," the younger Doctor remembered. "Ginger in any form will settle a gut down. I know Sarah doesn't like ginger ale, but we'll get something equally soothing for her." 

"We shall." they droned on and on, talking about the time vortex and time travel in general as they walked the corridors. 

A little while later, the TARDIS landed with a thump on a planet. The Doctors analyzed the data coordinates, but could not correctly identify the planet at all. Past data logs and old diary entries yielded up no results either. 

"Climate, about forty degrees fahrenheit, damp, misty," the older Doctor read out. "Sounds like we should go and take a look when the girls are well." 

"I can't resist an exploration." the younger Doctor rubbed his hands together excitedly, then both went to the kitchen to fix the girls a post hangover snack.

*Sarah was standing by herself in a large field. No one was visible, yet the field stretched for miles on end. It was dark, with blue at the edges of the horizon, indicating the sun was going down. She looked around, wondering where she was. 

Blinking, she realized tombstones were rising up out of the ground like plants. Granite and marble slabs rose effortlessly, Sarah heard a huge rumbling sound behind her. She turned to see a hooded figure in limestone, it's hands outstretched towards her like it wanted to grab her. Sarah leaned in to look at the intricate carving work done, when from the statue a hoarse laugh emanated from it's throat. 

The grass waved, then suddenly began to fly out of the ground, uprooted from some source. A visible dirt trail was rapidly closing in on her, it went under her feet, propelling her upward a few inches when something closed around her neck. Sarah gasped, twisting her neck and seeing the hooded stone figure was grasping her, her legs now dangling from the height. Sarah choked, then looked into the hood, seeing a pair of glowing yellow-orange eyes. She screamed as the figure tightened it's grip, then she became lightheaded from the air loss. Trying to release herself from the grip, she beat on the stone until her nails were torn and ragged looking, her knuckles were bloody. Her blood streamed down in a thin trail from the robe of the statue down to the ground, where it pooled beneath her feet.*

"No!" she cried out, struggling against a pair of hands that grasped hers. 

"Sarah!" her Doctor was calling her. "Wake up, it's just a dream!" her eyes jerked open to see her Doctor looking concerned for her, blue eyes piercing into her own. She sat up in bed, uttering an involuntary shudder. 

"Bad dream, I take it." he brought a tray over to her. 

"Bad was only the half of it, Doctor." she put her head in her hands.

He stretched out at the foot of her bed. " Want to talk about it?" she shifted the tray over to her and began to tell him about the odd dream. 

"Sarah," he interrupted her halfway through. "Your hands." 

"What? Oh." her knuckles were bleeding, like in the dream.

"You beat up your bedstead in the throes of the dream," he observed, pulling out a first aid kit and bandaging her knuckles. "It's been known to have that effect on people." 

"Really." she spoke flatly, letting him continue with his minstrations.

Twenty minutes later, Sarah emerged, dressed in jeans, black knee high boots, a blue peasant blouse and a black vest. Her Doctor passed her a green and black light jacket, which she put on without a problem. Sienna was in her usual combat gear, over her blue cami top, she added on her leather jacket. Her Doctor had on his brown greatcoat, while the other added his gray peacoat, re draping his scarf over his shoulders. 

"Here, Sarah," Sienna extended her black pageboy hat. "I saw you admiring it." 

She smiled her thanks and took it. "What about you?" 

"No matter," she showed her a black velvet pageboy hat with a black ribbon sewn into the left side. "Do I look good?"

"Very great." the door to the TARDIS opened up. 

"On to adventure." the younger Doctor gave his famous grin as they stepped outside.

****

"Man, it's cold out here," Sienna put her hands into her jacket pockets, echoed by Sarah. "Where are we, Doctors?" 

"We don't know exactly," the older Doctor saw the mist had dissipated. "How odd. Well, must be nighttime here. Not a soul around." 

The surroundings were of a modern town, buildings, stores, homes, traffic lights, cars. It was dark except for the streetlights illuminating the town's boardwalks. Storefront windows were smashed, glass scattered everywhere, cars were parked haphazardly and in the middle of the road. Traffic lights blinked at random, conveying the nonexistant traffic. A few skeletons of buildings were standing, including a blackened shell. Sienna frowned, moving forward a few paces, trying to get a better look. Her right hand rested on the gun holster at her hip, ready for anything. 

"What happened here?" Sarah asked the surroundings. She got no answer except for the rustle of strewn around litter, blown by the gentle wind. 

"Whatever happened, it was not a good thing." the younger Doctor proclaimed, keeping up with Sienna. 

"Stay together now," the older one said redundantly. "I feel a very intense negative energy here. Do you all feel it?" 

The group muttered in agreement as Sienna and Sarah went up to an old Buick that had definitely seen better days. It was behind a store building, parked diagonally. Rust deteriorated the once blue frame and paint of the car, the front end was flattened, the grille was in shards on the ground. Broken glass from the headlights and safety plastic from the windshield was blanketing the front seats. The steering wheel was mangled, both airbags had deployed. Sienna wrinkled her nose as an acrid smell permeated the air. 

"What is that awful stench?" Sarah held her nose. 

"I was in a car accident once," Sienna spoke, taking out her Leatherman and popping open one of the back doors. "The airbags are coated with a fire retardant powder. That's what that is. It was so pungent, I knew I'd never forget it." she put one piece of the Leatherman in and jiggled the door, making the lock pop open. A sharp kick and the door creaked open, revealing a decaying corpse.

"Oh my God!" Sarah backed away as Sienna did also. The Doctors craned their necks for a look, then began to drag the corpse out of the backseat. Putting it on the ground, they could see the corpse was still recognizable as a lady. Shreds of a dress still clung to the waist, remnants of a pink t-shirt were on the arms, along with several bloody marks. The older Doctor moved aside the head, prying open one of the eyes and observing it. The younger Doctor took the waist down, checking the legs for fractures and any other injuries. 

"This poor lady was stabbed multiple times," the older Doctor moved the head again. "Then recieved a blow to the back of her head. Whoever did this was very precise, it was enough to fracture several of her vertebrae." 

"No marks below her waist," the younger Doctor chirped, moving up to where the other Doctor was sitting. "Sienna, is there any blood in the car?"

Sienna seemed immobile, so Sarah went and checked. "Yes, Doctor, a lot of it." 

"Sienna?" he looked up to see her eyes staring straight ahead. "Sienna, what is it?" 

Getting up, Sarah joined her Doctor as they continued to look around the car. Sienna's Doctor came to her, waving his hand in front of her face. He recieved no reaction at all. Putting his hands on her temples, he focused on her mind. After a moment, she jumped, breathing hard like she'd run a marathon. Brown eyes darting around wildly, she put her hands in her Doctor's, looking into his eyes. 

"What the hell just happened to me?" 

"I don't know," he met her eyes. "Maybe the negative atmosphere here is affecting you in some unknown way. You were catatonic until I brought you out of it." 

"Negative energy putting me into a catatonic state?" she glanced over to the other Doctor and Sarah. "That's very unusual. Well, let's work through this and not jump to conclusions just yet." 

"Reasonable." both Doctors said together. Sienna gave herself a mental shake, then went over to the trunk of the car, finagling the lock until it popped. She drew back, afraid to look after the surprise of the corpse in the backseat. Her Doctor understood, looking in for her. 

"Nothing in here, except more blood." he told her, touching her hands reassuringly. The older Doctor and Sarah stood up, joining them. The four walked into the main street, looking around as a chilly wind whipped around them. 

"Oh, God," Sarah said to herself. "What sort of calamity befell these people?"

"This is the same premise of that video game, Silent Hill." Sienna remembered the game, starting out in a lone town, dark, with nobody else in sight. 

The Doctors didn't understand what she meant, but left it alone as they took their companions and split up, taking one side each. Sienna pulled on a pair of leather gloves she had stashed in an inner pocket, her Doctor looked into a smashed window. He broke the window in the door and stepped through, his canvas sneakers cracked and broke the glass on the floor as he walked around. Sienna's hiking boots thumped dully on the hardwood floor, her wide brown eyes looking, determined not to jump out of her skin again. She checked her pockets, bringing out a small flashlight. 

"Odd," her Doctor muttered. "With destruction on this grand scale, you'd think that the stores would be looted and everyone running or driving for their lives." 

"Panic does strange things to people, Doctor," Sienna tucked a small package of quicksilver flares into her jacket. "I can't help but wonder what happened." 

"Some sort of panic on a grand scale, I would gather." he brushed his fingers against a stack of gossip magazines and turned back to his companion. She had picked up a small windchime and was listening to it as another chilly breeze blew. The Doctor took her arm, then both only glanced into the windows down the street, finding nothing to aid them. They met up with the older Doctor and Sarah, who'd reached the same conclusion. 

"Did the temperature drop?" Sarah asked her Doctor. "I feel so cold." he looked at her and could see her lips were starting to turn blue. Sienna's were as well, he noticed. 

"We need some shelter for you girls. But we also need to find out what happened." he stated, at a loss to say anything else. 

"How about a library?" Sarah suggested, hugging herself in the coldness. A library was just across the street, the first floor was a library, the second was a small bed and breakfast. The older Doctor grinned, taking Sarah's hand and guiding her to it, leaving the other two to follow them. 

"Getting warm?" the younger Doctor sat down beside Sienna, who was clutching a fleece blanket around her shoulders. She and Sarah sat near a roaring fire in a fireplace. They were in the B&B part on the second floor, the older Doctor was going downstairs to fetch research material. Sienna nodded, subdued as she watched the dancing flames through the firescreen. 

"Here." a steaming mug of hot cocoa was handed to each of them. Sarah took it gladly, wrapping her fingers around the mug as Sienna did the same, still lost in thought. 

"If you two have no objections, I would like to head downstairs and help the other me with research. You girls try to get some rest now." it had been six hours since they'd wandered into the vacant town, Sarah was starting to feel the effects of doing so much walking around. Sienna had been feeling it too, but her mind was preoccupied on why she had entered a catatonic state when she never had before. 

"Sienna?" Sarah paused in making up her little nest in a king size mattress on the floor. The B&B was completely trashed, ransacked. The only thing that had been left alone was the kitchen. Sienna stared into the fire for a long moment, then turned to face Sarah. The mattress had been slashed twice, the stuffing was coming out, but other than that, it was still all right to sleep on. It was so big both girls could sleep on it comfortably, the Doctors would attend to their own bed making whenever they got tired. 

"What, Sarah?"

"Do you know why you went catatonic like that?" Sarah curled up on the bed, drawing a fleece blanket over her. 

"I don't know, Sarah," she drained her mug and went beside her friend, lying so she was in front of the fire on her right side. "Neurological, extreme shock, I have no complete idea." 

"That's why I always liked Batman best of any superhero." 

"What?"

Sarah's eyes were half closed. "Because his greatest weapon was his mind, Sienna. Do you remember Batman? Murdered parents, he grew up to be the greatest non unnatural powers ever?" 

"I love him," Sienna grinned. "Of that same exact reason, Sarah. He kicks Superman's ass." 

"That's right. Good night or good day, Sienna." 

"The same." Sienna closed her eyes, but it was a long time before sleep claimed her. 

****

Downstairs, the Doctors were pouring over the newspaper archives in the library portion of the building. The younger Doctor was aiming his sonic screwdriver into the fuse box, examining the power outage. Every single fuse was blackened, the outer casing had been melted clean through, revealing the insides clearly in the blue light. He pulled open the metal paneling, finding all circuits had been fried clean through. 

"That's weird," he muttered to himself. "What could produce enough energy to unleash a wave so powerful it knocked out all but city streetlights?" the residue was black and still smoky as he picked up a little bit and rubbed it in his hands. 

The older Doctor was sitting down at a desk, paging through the leatherbound book of old newspapers. He aimed a big flashlight at the pages, scrutinizing each headline for a moment before turning to the next one. After sorting through two bound volumes, he came to the last one in the pile. He chose a random place in the pages, then opened it up to that page. 

"Interesting," he spoke aloud. " None of these volumes speak of an apparent apocalypse on this place at all." 

"Turn to the very last page." the younger Doctor put his sonic screwdriver away and inspected the books on the shelf. Some bookshelves had fallen over, books strewn all over the floor at random, many bookshelves were in pieces and splinters. The library looked to once had been a nice place to visit and do research, but now cobwebs and dust gathered in thick layers everywhere as far as the eye could see. A small hole was in one corner, the Doctor supposed rats and mice had once come through it, reaffirming that when he found several dead animal bodies. 

"Hmmmm," the older Doctor skimmed through the headlines. "Ah, here's something interesting: 'A man named Jared Lynchcliffe turned up dead on Saturday, the 39th. The coroner's autopsy is complete, showing no obvious signs of death. Toxicology report due to come out tomorrow to be released to the public. Lynchcliffe was last seen alive near Skittmer's Cave, south of town.' The man was in his late forties, graying hair, just your average person on the street." 

"Things can happen when your back is turned," the younger Doctor joined the older one. "What does toxicology say?" 

The older Doctor flipped forward a page. "'Nothing was found in the man's bloodstream. The coroner had to conclude it was natural causes, due to a lack of evidence otherwise.' How very odd," he mused. " I have heard of people dying from all sorts of things, but never heard of something like this before. Perhaps he died of fright?" 

"That is very possible. At this early stage, impossible to conclude anything as of yet. What else do the headlines say?" 

"Little importance to us. It mentions some visitors from abroad, stopping by for a spell, then the archives just stop." he shut the book. The younger Doctor got up, deep in through, then not looking where he was going, stumbled over a small hopechest sitting in the corner. Kneeling down, he popped the lock with the sonic screwdriver, then aimed a flashlight in to see clearly. A stack of spiral bound notebooks were sitting, the top was dusty, a mildew scent wafted up to his nose as he plucked out the top notebook and began to skim through it.

"If anyone's reading this, then my worst fears have come true," he read aloud, going back to his curly haired self and sitting down. "It means the worst has befallen our humble little town and will not arise from the ashes of the past." 

Interests peaked, they moved the stack of journals upstairs, sitting in the main room where the girls were sleeping. The fire crackled merrily, oblivious to the terse atmosphere. The black outside lightened to a shade of dark gray as the clock chimed 4:45 AM. 

Sienna exhaled slowly and turned onto her right side in her sleep. Her Doctor looked down at her and brushed stray hair out of her face. Flipping through the journal, he chose only random spots to read, anxious to find out what had apparently annihilated the planet they were on. 

*"Doctor?" Sarah asked, standing near a small pond. She turned, expecting to see the TARDIS materialize in front of her, but nothing was there. The sky was blue, the pond rippled merrily as a flock of ducks quacked by. A gentle breeze rustled her pink sundress as the sun shone down on her. Sarah sat down on the grass, watching the ducks and the blue heron in the sky alternately. 

"I don't know what's going on here," she sighed. A rustling noise attracted her attention, turning, she saw Sienna stumble out of the woods. " How did you get in here?" 

Sienna, her brown pants and blue t-shirt torn in several places, shrugged. "I have no idea, Sarah. Your guess is as good as mine." 

"Well, that makes two of us." Sienna sat down with her friend and chucked a stone into the water, trying to make it skip. Both did little talking, looking into the clean blue pond and watching the ducks do their business, catching fish to eat. Sienna put her arms around her knees, wondering what was going on. Sarah stretched out, lying on the cool grass, basking in the sun. 

"Such an odd place. Sienna, what happened to you?"

"What?" 

"Your clothes. Why are they so torn?" Sienna straightened up and looked down, bewildered.

"I have no idea, Sarah." the green grass, soaking up the sun, turned red underneath them, piercing hot, making them jump up in shock and slight pain. Sienna rubbed her butt, swearing as Sarah watched intently. The grass blades turned red hot, then melted down, leaving the bare brown earth. Sienna stooped down to pick up a bit of the dirt, noticing it was warm, but not hot to the touch.

"This isn't any kind of natural phenomenon that I've heard of." Sarah stated, looking up into the sky. Sienna stood up and looked skywards also. The sun was rapidly becoming obscured by green clouds, dark and threatening. Dumbstruck, the duo watched as the sky turned dark green, then began to rain. Only it wasn't raining water, some kind of viscous fluid was falling at random. Sarah raked back her hair, wet with the goop as Sienna made a look of disbelief. 

"What the hell? This isn't good for my hair!" she made to try to rake the gunk out of her hair, but it hardened up instantly and was immobile. 

"I have no idea what this is for and really....the Doctors should see this. Where are they?" Sarah turned in all directions, but neither Doctor was in her sight. Sienna made for the pond, leaping in and repeatedly clawing out the gunk in her hair. 

The green clouds suddenly dissipated, leaving the sky looking a dark orange. Sarah glanced up, seeing a dark blue lightning bolt split the sky for a full minute. Sienna looked up as well, making to stride out of the pond, but a white muscular arm pulled her back in. Sienna fought and struggled, but she wasn't able to break free of the iron grip. Sliding under the water, she called for Sarah, but was immersed before Sarah could even get to her. Sienna's hand disappeared, the last bit of flesh, as Sarah ducked under the water and tried to find Sienna, but it was no use. Coming up, she untangled the bit of seaweed in her hair, went up to the bank, then saw all the trees had caught fire and smouldered down to mere stumps. 

"What does this mean?" Sarah cried out.* 

The Doctors looked up from their journal reading as Sarah and Sienna began making noises in their sleep. Bookmarking their spots, they noticed Sarah appeared to be making more noise than Sienna. They went to their companions, wondering about the dreams they were having. They did not have time to talk to each other about their companions when Sarah woke up suddenly. Sitting upright and covered in a cold sweat, she brushed her hair out of her eyes furiously as her Doctor stayed with her, saying soothing things to try to calm her down. Sarah gradually calmed down, managing to tell them about the dream.

"Sienna was in it too?" the younger Doctor asked. Sarah nodded. 

"Yes. What's wrong with her?" he propped her up so they could see. Sienna's eyes were open, but she was unseeing. 

"Oh, dear," Sarah sighed. "Do you mean she's-"

"Catatonic again?" he supplied. "Yes." 

"Can you wake her up from it like you did last time?" 

"I'll try. I mean, I offer no guarantees." the younger Doctor's brow furrowed as he tried to remember exactly how he had woken her up last time. Putting his hands at her temples, the Doctor concentrated on her mind. Gaining access, he went through her corridor, surrounded on both sides by doors to memories. 

"I hope this works. I mean, we still don't know what's affecting her." Sarah folded herself up into a little ball and watched, echoed by her Doctor. 

After a long moment, Sienna jumped and sucked in a breath like she had done the last time. Her Doctor opened up his eyes and watched her carefully for a few minutes. 

"I zoned out again, eh?" she asked, not expecting an answer. "What is doing it to me?" that they couldn't answer. 

"What are those?" Sarah gestured to the small stack of journals, counting six in all. Her Doctor began to explain that they'd found them last night while the girls were asleep. He showed her the first notebook, spiral bound with wire, the front design was purple, pink, and green circles on a pale red background. 

"So these could give us a key to the past?" 

"That's right, Sarah," the older Doctor used his teacherish tone of voice. "We don't even know the person's name who wrote these, but we know they were like his memoirs. Some of these are about his past, but we're just now starting on the last journal." 

"What we do know," the younger Doctor began. " Is that we have to go to a local cave called Skittmere. A dead body turned up there and nobody knew what he died of. We mean to find out." 

"Well, Doctor, how could we? I mean, the person died probably a long time ago and wouldn't any traces be undetectable?"

"You're forgetting Sarah, we have our sonic screwdrivers and the TARDIS at our dispersal. If necessary, we can travel back in time to find out what went on." the older Doctor stood up, putting his hat on his head. 

"I guess so. Why not do it now?" she stood up, accepting his hand. 

"Oh come on, Sarah! Where's your sense of adventure?!" the younger Doctor helped Sienna up. " I love a good mystery!" 

****

After a short breakfast, they located a map down in the library, packed up supplies for their hike, then set out. The Doctors walked together, chatting away about past experiences they'd both encountered. Sarah and Sienna exchanged a look, then Sienna opened up her mouth and let out a loud belch. Sarah bit back a smile as both Doctors turned to lecture Sienna on her bad behavior. Grinning, Sienna took a drink of water and belched even more loudly. 

"You have such bad manners!" her Doctor expostulated. 

"Why thank you," she laughed. "The situation was getting a little too serious, Doctor! We all need to laugh a little more each day. Gum, Sarah?" she pulled out a pink dispenser of bubble gum and gave Sarah a big wad. Contentedly chewing, the group marched on, navigating the street, then the trail through the woods. All the trees were skeletal shells, the streams and lakes had dried up to big sinkholes in the ground. The group went on, finally finding a small trail that led to a big cave. 

"It's certainly...big." was all Sarah could say. Sienna swung herself up onto the cave and let her legs dangle over the entrance, swinging her legs back and forth, chewing her gum. She blew a big rubbery pink bubble and popped it, making a noise like a gun going off. The older Doctor jumped, then turned and gave her a look that would stop a Dalek in it's roller tracks. Sienna only grinned and waved at him, aggravating him a bit more. Both Doctors went into the cave, leaving Sarah and Sienna at the entrance. Sarah leaned against one side of the entrance, blowing bubbles, crossing her arms together. 

Inside the cave, both Doctors aimed their sonic screwdrivers around and began to take readings of whatever chemical might still be around. The younger one looked into the farther reaches of the cave, noticing a little spike in the reading. He crouched down and found fluorescent red residue of some sort. He adjusted the settings on his sonic screwdriver, then came out with a reading. 

"This is weird," he muttered. "Nothing I've never seen before. And I've seen a lot." 

"What is it?" the older Doctor moved in, taking readings himself. "Very weird. There's no proper name for this element or chemical or drug....perhaps the TARDIS can help. Let's grab a sample." a small specimen jar came from one of his endless pockets, they got up a good sample, then went back outside to the girls. They were just as they left them, the younger Doctor pulled Sienna so she was piggyback riding him, then set her on the ground. 

"Back to the TARDIS, ladies," the older Doctor put the jar in his coat pocket and led the way. " Come now." 

"Aye aye, Doctor." Sienna mock saluted, popping another bubble and making him jump. The Doctors joined hands with their respective companions, noting that the gray light was starting to fade. The journey to the cave had taken three hours, with resting breaks inbetween, another two hours gathering information, and now it would take at least four hours to get back to the TARDIS. 

Every half an hour they would break, and on the second hour, the younger Doctor noticed a truck out in the middle of nowhere. Going over to it, he used his sonic screwdriver to open up the dashboard panel and pull out the wires. Sienna slid into the passenger side, flipping down the visor for any key that might have been hidden. Not finding one, she watched as he hotwired the truck to start, then they all piled in. 

"Very neat," Sienna opened up a concealed panel, revealing a GPS tracking system. She rotated the view until she saw the TARDIS box on the screen, pressed ENTER, then the computer gave directions to it. 

"You're good with computers," her Doctor remarked, steering to the left. "They seem to like you." 

"Thank you, Doctor. Estimated time arrival is an hour and a half, so we can doze or chat or what." she announced to the others in the backseat. 

"What do you think that dream meant, Sienna?" Sarah spoke up. 

"Stress, fear of death, time change, I really can't pinpoint just one thing. They can mean so many different things at once, Sarah." she propped her head up, using her right hand, elbow on the window edge. 

Little was said as they drove off towards the TARDIS. Sienna stared, wondering what to think about the catatonic state she had now entered twice. Not coming up with anything, she let her head lay back against the headrest and dozed for the remainder of the trip. The older Doctor in back of her dozed as well, Sarah and the younger Doctor didn't say anything at all. The gray light faded out completely, replaced with pitch blackness. Once at the TARDIS, their comrades roused from their twilight sleep stage, they disembarked the car and entered their ship.

Sienna and Sarah sat in the console room floor, watching their Doctors talking to each other and running an analysis of the substance. The older Doctor rubbed a sample on the analyzer, pressed a few buttons, threw a switch, and the TARDIS's computer chugged, churning a printout. 

"I don't believe this. It's dexoniam. This is a very potent chemical compound." he snatched the readout, scanned it, then handed it to his younger self. 

"What is it and what does it mean to us?" Sienna inquired. 

"To us, it doesn't mean a thing," he answered. "For whoever inhabited this planet, it was obviously deadly. We still need to hike back into town and put more of the pieces of this elusive puzzle together." 

"Can you elaborate on what this is a little more?" Sarah straightened up as the younger Doctor tucked the printout into his brown greatcoat. 

For some aliens, this is a deadly drug. Highly toxic, if introduced into the atmosphere. The inhabitants, I would guess, have been gone over 20,000 years by now. The compound was released most likely by the atmosphere, the inhabitants inhaled it, and it killed them. I mean, the Lynchcliffe fellow didn't have anything detectable in his lungs when he died." he opened up the TARDIS door as his older self put his hat back on. 

"Why would that be?" Sarah shut the door.

"I'm guessing this planet's aliens didn't have sophisticated enough technology to find it," the older Doctor answered, getting back into the car. "Or the medical equipment could have been sabotaged. Either way, it's the most likely culprit of this planet's annihilation." 

"Who could have done that? The Daleks?" Sienna snagged the front seat again as the older Doctor prepared to start driving. 

"They're more fond of turning races into slaves, then opening fire on them." doors shut, he put the two wires together and started the car.

"Cybermen?"

"They would have converted the race to Cybermen and put them into their armies," the younger Doctor answered. "No, what we have here is something very different. As good old Dalek Sec would say, 'EXTERMINATE!'" 

"What?" Sarah glanced at Sienna, who sniggered.

"The black Dalek, they have names. Black one is Dalek Sec, bronze is Caan, and the other one is Jast, the last one is Dalek Thay. Odd, but it seems to work for them." 

"Oh. Do Cybermen have names?"

"No, they're just a mechanical army. Unlike the Daleks, which have no moral compass, sense, or emotion whatsoever, the Cybermen had emotional inhibitors put into them. If they're made into Cybermen from a different species." the younger Doctor closed his eyes for a moment. 

Nothing else was said until they found the library/bed and breakfast building, parked, then went inside. The girls headed upstairs to make a late dinner, while the Doctors routed around downstairs to find more information on the planet. 

"Here's something..." the older Doctor found scorch marks on the far side of the wall. Overhead, a sign that read ARCHIVES was still readable, covered in soot and ash. A blackened door stood ajar, the inside room was black over every square inch. The bookshelves blended in, reduced to black cinders and ash. The older Doctor checked the room, noting that every book in the archives were completely burned through. Disappointed, he turned around and exited the room, telling his younger self what was in the room. They looked around, fine combing all the remaining contents of the library, then headed upstairs. 

Sienna struck a match, lit a fire, then kindled it so it would last for hours. After dinner, she sat down on her nest of blankets and stared into the fire, oblivious to the others. She steepled her hands together under her chin, then focused on one thought, brow furrowed in concentration. 

"Huh..." 

"What was that, Sienna?" her Doctor settled down beside her and glanced at her. "You all right?" 

"I'm fine, Doctor. I was wondering, I bet there are spirits of the old planet around and do you think that I should try to go into a trance and get them to appear before us?" 

"I don't know. You went catatonic on us twice already, Sienna. Do you think it's worth it?"

"Yes. You brought me out of it twice already, so you can do it again. I think it's worth a look. May shed some more light on our mystery." 

He looked thoughtful, flipping his book shut and pulling out a small notepad and pen. "I'll take notes and ask you direct questions. What else should I do?" 

"That's all." Sienna closed her eyes and opened up her mind to the possibilities. 

"To whom am I speaking?" he asked, pen poised as Sarah and her Doctor walked in. They took a look at Sienna, then settled down on their places, watching in earnest. 

Sienna said nothing as she concentrated, trying to zero in on the aliens who had previously inhabited the planet. In her mind's eye, she could see them, suffering in agony as they all died, one by one. 

****

Her mind was an array of bright colors, swirling and shifting, like a lava lamp. The colors turned to other colors alternately, then took on a black and orange checkered look, narrowing into a tunnel. When the tunnel stopped, dark and angry looking colors, black, dark green, dark red, etc, then seemed to completely engulf her. All of a sudden, Sienna appeared to be flying, traveling through the air. She dematerialized into a thousand little pieces and then plunged into a little silver circle. Looking around, she still couldn't see anything but blackness, but a white light suddenly flashed in her mind, exploding. 

"Sienna?" her Doctor tried to shake her out of the trance, but it didn't work. 

"What is it?" Sarah prompted him as he put his fingers to her temples. The younger Doctor felt just what Sienna had felt, a bright flashing light and mild pain. He cried out, jerking his fingers back as Sienna's prone form slumped over to the floor. Holding his head in his hands for a minute, he looked up to find Sarah's hand on his back, supporting him, while the older Doctor draped a blanket over Sienna. He looked at his younger self, wordlessly wondering what had happened to them both. Sarah eyed him, then looked over to Sienna. Her complexion had gone a bit pale, her eyes were closed, she looked inanimate, lifeless. 

"Oh, Rassilon," he recovered and sat back upright. "I felt it. There was an intense blinding white light with some mild pain for me, but I know it was intense for her. She'll recover soon, then she can tell us what she saw." 

Stifling a yawn, which her Doctor noticed, Sarah lay down on her little bed. The older Doctor pulled a blanket up over her as well, telling her to sleep, it had been a long day for all of them. 

"It's been a full 24 hours here.. we have only the chemical the invaders used." the younger Doctor removed his sonic screwdriver and ran a scan on Sienna, eyeing her body critically for any obvious damage. Thankfully there was none that he could see. 

"Would you look at this," he marveled, looking at the readings. " I've never seen this before on any human." 

"Have a look?" the older Doctor read the readout. "I'll be. Faint electromagnetic discharge. From what?" 

"I don't know exactly. It's like from a....satellite or something." 

"Or some kind of jamming device anyway....." the younger Doctor put his sonic screwdriver away, taking Sienna's pulse. 

"Huh. I just bet that could happen....Sienna's sensitive to electromagnetic interference I remember." 

"What?" 

"Nothing," his head ached and he was growing tired rapidly. "I'll hypothesize or theorize tomorrow." 

"Good night." they both bedded down with their companions. The older Doctor slept and snored all night long, causing the younger Doctor a little more trouble falling asleep. 

The night passed without incident. Sarah woke up first and began to make breakfast, the Doctors roused around ten minutes later, waking up to the good smells emanating from the kitchen. Getting up, they put on their coats, the older one put on his scarf and hat, then went into the kitchen. The younger Doctor examined Sienna again, reassuring himself that nothing was wrong with her. 

"Sienna, time to wake up." he said gently, putting his hands on her temples. She stirred, then opened up her sleepy eyes to see her Doctor's brown eyes looking down into her, worried. When he saw her eyes open, he smiled in relief as Sienna sat up slowly. 

"Oh, God, what the hell happened to me, Doctor?" she shrugged off the blanket and sat up. 

"Come on, we'll eat and I'll explain what I think happened to you." he helped her up and guided her into the kitchen. 

There were only two chairs, the older Doctor and Sarah took them while Sienna and her Doctor sat on the countertop, legs crossed. 

"Nobody ever let me do this at my house when I was growing up!" she giggled, taking a drink. "Now about what happened to me? I thought it was some kind of psi backlash." 

"Close. My sonic screwdriver picked up faint electromagnetic residual energy on you." 

"And?" 

"What that means, Sienna," the older Doctor spoke up. "Is that some sort of jamming system is on this planet somewhere. I'd bet it's not too far away since you were so affected. If we set out and find it today, we may discover more of the puzzle." 

"It doesn't make sense. Why would I be affected?" 

"Because Sienna, you have a power that not many humans have," her Doctor told her affectionately. "Your brain is more developed than others, meaning you have sensitive abilities. It's because of that highly developed area in your brain, you were able to try to tap into the higher plane of existence, then you encountered an electromagnetic backlash. My guess is your active brainwaves triggered some kind of jamming system not far from here." 

"Gee...." was all Sienna could say. 

"We can use our sonic screwdrivers to trace the radio frequency. I would bet this interference has been causing your catatonia." the older Doctor began to clean up. 

"All righty then. I presume we start now?" they hopped off the counter. 

"Right." Sarah and Sienna got their things together, then the four piled into the car, Sienna taking the wheel this time. The Doctors sat in the backseat, taking their screwdrivers and adjusting them to pick up the frequency, calling out directions. 

"So what do you think we'll find, once we get the frequency?" Sarah glanced into the backseat. 

"A satellite jamming system, capable of jamming out abnormal human brain waves." her Doctor told her. 

"Thanks a lot." Sienna mocked him. 

"I meant more specifically, do you think whatever killed off those people will be there, or their remains?" 

"Impossible to say, Sarah. However, I wouldn't be very surprised otherwise. At any rate, we just want to solve the mystery of what the name of this planet is, who killed them all, and if possible, send a message to the Time Lords that this planet can be open to a new species." 

"Flipping a planet," the younger Doctor supplied. "The new inhabitants will destroy all, then rebuild." he saw Sienna glancing at him in the rearview mirror and gave her a little grin.

One hour later, Sienna parked the car, they piled out, then stood around. The sonic screwdrivers flashed, making their high pitched whirring sounds. 

"So where is the satellite now anyway?" Sienna and Sarah asked together. A low rumbling sound wafted up to their ears and before they knew it, the floor beneath them gave way. All four went tumbling down about ten feet, landing in a hollow chamber. 

"Augh!" Sarah spit out blood, then realized her lip was bleeding. "The things I do to have an adventure!" Sienna grinned. She suffered a shallow cut on her neck and that was it. Dusting off the dirt, the girls stood up and saw the Doctors were sprawled on their backs. Going over to them, they managed to help the Doctors up, then examine them carefully. Waving aside the girls, insisting they were fine, they pulled out their screwdrivers and made the way down a long winding tunnel. Sienna pulled out one of her magnums, ready for anything. Sarah trailed behind her Doctor, eyes wide as the tunnel curved slightly to the right. They trekked past skeletons, human ones, past skeletons of bone that were nothing recognizable, even to the Doctors. 

"Doctor," it just occurred to Sarah. "What did those journals say? Anything pertaining to this?" 

He shook his head. "I found the printer and publishing information in the back of one, Sarah. Those were printed and put in the library as a tourist trap. There was no real information that would corroborate with this." 

"So it was fake then? Oooh, that makes me so mad!" Sienna had to smile at her friend for a moment. 

"It's all right, Sarah. It was a stupid ploy to get more tourists from other planets here. This way." they entered another large bubble domed chamber. The younger Doctor inspected one side, using his sonic screwdriver to see a small panel in the wall. He spied a small red switch, then threw it. Green tinged light suddenly flooded the chamber, revealing a small satellite and adjacent equipment in the far corner. Making his way over, the older Doctor saw a small shelf, littered with numerous bottles, most of them contained the chemical dexoniam. 

"A devil's brew of drugs and chemicals here," he growled. "You humans have a saying I often adopt, 'no matter how much I think I've seen it all, something always occurs to make me rethink it'? I think that suits it down here for me." 

"I know what you mean." Sienna inspected the jamming satellite, joined by Sarah and her Doctor. 

"This is too elaborate to be just a simple jamming system," the younger one proclaimed. "It looks to be part of a network." he detached the casing to the adjacent equipment and examined it closely, shifting aside so the older Doctor could look as well. 

"Yes indeed," there were several in and output plugs. "This whole planet is wired in, programmed to jam....special brain waves." Sienna shot his back an appreciative look, happy not to hear him call her brain waves abnormal again. Sarah chuckled. 

"So, destroy it and we'll all be out of here." 

"Right. This may take a minute..." they started to disconnect the wires. Sienna huffed in inpatience, looking over at Sarah. 

"Doctors, really! Stand back, I'll annihilate it with one bullet." 

"This is careful work, Sienna." 

The younger Doctor unplugged the main power terminal, only to be rewarded with a jolt of electricity. He yelped in pain, then fell to the floor, twitching.

****

"For pete's sake, Doctor!" Sienna put her hands around his midsection and with the others' help, she got him into a fireman's carry. The older Doctor finished disconnecting the satellite, using his sonic screwdriver to permanently dissassemble it. They stood at the entrance of the chamber, Sarah led the way, they all barely registered how the very planet was rumbling beneath their feet. Finding a ladder, they all managed to get up in time as a huge shock wave engulfed the planet, making everything shake badly. 

"It's a seismic tremor!" the Doctor helped Sienna stuff her Doctor into the car. 

"What?" Sarah had her hands over her ears. 

"How can that be, Doctor?!" 

"All the jammers have been destroyed! The residual electromagnetic energy is being absorbed into this planet's very core!" 

"That's impossible!" 

"Nothing is impossible in space, Sarah!" 

"Doctor, watch out!" Sienna and Sarah screamed simultaneously. The Doctor did not hear them, but he felt something sear into his left arm. Yelping in pain, he saw a jagged chunk of flaming debris lodge itself into his forearm, melting away the fabric of his peacoat and shirt. 

"Doctor!" they hustled him into the car, where Sarah crowded in the backseat with him as Sienna put the car in gear and raced towards the TARDIS. 

In the backseat, Sarah pulled a strip of cloth from the upholstery of the car, patting out the flames quickly. The Doctor was starting to lose blood, his features were already drawn up in pain, his color was starting to go pale. He acted on instinct, trying to remove the debris, but Sarah interrupted him, forcefully tying on a makeshift bandage. The blood soaked through, so Sarah tied on another one, making sure it was tight.

"He's starting to lose more blood, Sienna. I've put a tourniquet on, or what will have to pass for one. How far are we from the TARDIS?" 

"Not far at all!" Sienna slammed down the accelerator, aiming for the blue box that showed up on the navigation system. The older Doctor's blue eyes focused on Sarah, he was too weak to talk, but he gripped her bloody hands. 

"Doctor, you'll be safe in a moment. Stay awake so we can get you into the TARDIS and you can get us out of here." she spoke to him, infusing her words with cheerfulness, but the Doctor was not convinced. 

Twenty minutes later, Sienna screeched to a stop outside the TARDIS, wrestled her Doctor in, then helped Sarah and the older Doctor inside it. He stumbled to the controls, making them dematerialize. As Sarah shut the door, she saw the planet rapidly changing. In place of all the darkness that had once been there, a ray of bright amber light was shining down, gloominess forgotten. 

"It seems we woke up the planet, Sienna." she smiled shakily. 

"What used that substance on them to kill them?" 

"We may never know," Sienna propped up her Doctor's head. "That planet will still remain a mystery to us." 

"Sontarans," the older Doctor clutched his wounded arm. "They discovered what those inhabitants were vulnerable to, annihilated them, then turned the planet to dust." 

"Come on, Doctor, let's get you to the medbay now." Sienna dragged her Doctor along, helped by the others. 

"Do you know for sure it was the Sontarans?" 

"Yes, Sarah. I saw a skull of one of their heads down there. They set up the jamming system to keep an illusion of a dark and lonely planet to keep intruders out. Ones with high functioning brain waves trigger the defense mechanism by making them pass out, or turn into catatonic corpses." 

"Right. Let's administer to you first, Doctor." they got them onto cots. Sienna's Doctor just needed to recover consciousness, so he was put at a medstation out of the way. Sarah prepared to remove the chunk of debris with Sienna at her side. The latter was prepared with medical supplies, but namely was in charge of keeping the Doctor still, should he try to revolt. 

"Don't struggle with us, Doctor. You'll make it worse." Sarah undid the makeshift tourniquet and threw it away in a biohazard container. Wearing purple sterile gloves, she began to probe around the object in the Doctor's arm, gently pulling it free. She cleaned the wound, ignoring the Doctor's muted pain noises as Sienna held his unwounded arm down. Sarah made sure there were no more chunks of debris in his wound, then she put antibiotic powder into the injury itself, then picked up a long strip of suture tape. She put it on the wound, satisfied when she heard it suck down into the skin to get a good grip. The sides of the Doctor's injury instantly bonded together, sealing off any more bleeding. 

"Not bad. Doctor?" Sienna asked, seeing his eyes close. Sarah shrugged. 

"Come on. Let's put him on the gurney, then take them to their rooms." together, they put Sienna's Doctor in his room, then unloaded Sarah's Doctor. 

"You going to stay with him, Sarah?" Sienna hesitated upon leaving. Sarah had taken off her Doctor's shoes, scarf, the rest of his peacoat, and hat. 

"Yes." 

If she expected Sienna to argue, her hopes were dashed as Sienna replied: "That's fine. Make sure you have a water bottle handy. Bloodloss will make anyone-even a Time Lord- thirsty." she smiled and left, shutting the door. 

"Thank you, Sienna." Sarah sat down on the chaise lounge near the bed and began to drift off, tired from all the excitement they'd had during the last few days. 

Sienna walked into her Doctor's room, getting up beside him on the bed. She pulled a woolen striped blanket-much to her amusement, it was in the same color pattern and colors as the older Doctor's scarf,-and tucked him in.

"Well Doctor," she muttered, kicking off her hiking boots and gunbelt. "You never fail to give me a truly....unique adventure, time and time again." she had to giggle at her pun.

Back on the planet, the amber sun was shining brightly, new trees were beginning to take root, and previously dry riverbeds the four had trekked over began to fill in, obscuring their footprints.


	16. Doctors Possessed

Doctors possessed

4/10/Sienna/Sarah

Mystery/Action/Introspection

"No sign of waking up?" Sienna looked in on Sarah. She looked up and shook her head no as they both stood up and looked down at the Doctor. Sarah's Doctor was lying perfectly still, sound asleep.

"Well, my Doctor hasn't woken up either. Let's go and at least try to get the TARDIS into orbit..." 

"He already did that, remember?" 

"Oh, right," Sienna sighed. " Sorry, I guess I'm just tired that's all." 

"You didn't sleep either, did you?" they went out into the main hall, then into the cloister room. Sienna sat on the stairs while Sarah sat on the edge of the Eye Of Harmony link. On the fourth stair, her arms on her knees with her head propped up on her arms, Sienna looked at Sarah. There was a bit of redness to her eyes and slight hollows underneath them. Sarah imagined she didn't look much better. 

"I haven't slept well in awhle, Sarah. What about you?" 

Sarah's legs started to swing, hands clasped together in her lap. "Not so well myself. When we landed on that planet, I began having nightmares and they still haven't stopped yet. Only a matter of time, I would guess." 

"Maybe the Doctors can hypnotize us to help get over that planet or something." Sienna mused.

"It would be better than nothing." Sarah shrugged, eyes drawn to study the stone walls around the Eye Of Harmony. Sienna looked up to see the seal of Rassilon above the door, then studied her fingers. Her chosen color at the moment was dark blue, decals of flowers and a dragonfly were put on each ring finger and thumb. 

"What was life like for you, Sarah? Before you came in league with the Doctor?" 

Sarah looked a little taken aback at the question, but since neither could sleep, she chose to answer Sienna's question. 

"I'm as old as you are, Sienna. I came from a little town in the Kent countryside. My mother was a housewife, my father was a journalist himself." 

"Is that where you got it from, Sarah?" Sienna was intrigued.

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "Growing up, I was an only child. Then my older cousins came to live with us for a little while. My aunt Lindy and uncle Horace had to go on a business trip. My cousins, Joseph and Timothy, taught me how to fight, roughhouse, all that. Oh, we drove my mother mad!" she laughed. " They taught me how to go mudding in the swamps on our bikes, building treehouses, camping out in the backyard in a tent, all that fun stuff." 

"Sounds like a lot of fun." Sienna smiled. 

"It was great fun. I always remember when I didn't know how to swim, my cousin Timothy sneaked up behind me and threw me into the water! Luckily Joseph was there, they both taught me how to swim and not be afraid. We went fishing, hiking, it was such fun with them around. My mother was perplexed with me after my cousins left, I was acting like a tomboy, not like my proper ladylike self. I told her we only got to live once and make the most of it. She told me she was proud of me and continued to let me act like the tomboy within. My father didn't like it much, he said I ought to act like a lady." 

"Phooey on that!" Sienna rolled her eyes. "Go on, Sarah." 

"My mom and I devised a plan. I only acted ladylike around my father and like myself around my mother. She would sit on the back deck, catching a little bit of sun while Daddy was out on assignments and watch me play with the neighborhood boys. I didn't like the other girls, they were such crybabies most of the time. Always crying whenever one of the boys gave them a wee playful punch, you know!" Sarah made a face. "Glad I don't have any sisters!" 

"I think I had one that lived with us, we were her foster home," Sienna remembered. "She left after six months with us. Either she was adopted or transferred to another foster home, because she couldn't cope with me and my adopted brothers!" 

Both girls laughed for a few minutes, then Sarah continued on. "I was around 8 when I became a tomboy. When I went to school, I was always going on with the boys. I liked to roughhouse and tumble, they always welcomed me. In high school, I became interested in romance and began to wear skirts and dresses again. I had a few boyfriends in high school and that was about it. What about you?"

"Boyfriends? I had 3 and none worked out." 

"Yikes," Sarah made a sympathetic noise. "My father judged that I was old enough to accompany him on some of his local assignments and I did. I got interested, took journalist courses at the high school and any extracurricular ones I could find. I also entered contests, won some of them, then I got into a college level journalist course." 

"Wow, girl. What did your dad think after that?" 

"When I graduated, I entered into the college level journalist course, spent one year learning, then graduated there. They said I was quite precocious, and signed me up with a newspaper. It was quite intense and the pressure was more than what I liked, so I transferred to magazines. I was my father's protegee, pride and joy. He and Mom watched me graduate with tears in their eyes, immensely proud of what I had become." 

"I can imagine, Sarah." 

"From then on, I spent a few years at the magazine and I was still there when I sneaked into UNIT headquarters to get a story. It was when the Doctor before mine, the old gray haired dandy, was acting as scientific advisor. I stowed away in his TARDIS, then when his companion Jo went away, he invited me on board. We've been together ever since." 

"Wow." Sienna glanced at the pillars at the base of the Eye Of Harmony. 

"Your turn, Sienna." 

"What?" 

"A bit about your childhood." 

"Eh. Adopted mom was a businesslady and Dad was a mechanic. They taught me about cars, my two adopted brothers did what your cousins did to you. I had a phase where I hated skirts, wouldn't wear 'em, etc. I cut off my long hair and I adopted this hairstyle almost five years ago. I excelled in English, math was bearable because I had a great teacher, and I did chorus and drama after school. After high school, I worked in a hospital as a cleaner until the Doctor showed up." 

"The hospital? Must have been interesting." 

"Not really," Sienna sighed. " It was horribly mundane, boring, all that. I had resigned about a week before the TARDIS appeared in my apartment's back lot. I was living off severance pay, investigating a new line of work. You know about the business with my real parents and how they've hurt me, which I'm so glad I'm here instead of back on earth." 

"What about your adopted parents? Won't they be worried?"

"It..." Sienna cast her eyes at her friend, wondering how to phrase what had happened. "After my high school graduation, they cosigned the lease for my car and my apartment, announced I was officially on my own, I haven't heard from them since." 

"Do you stay in contact with your brothers?"

"No. I'm a loner, Sarah. Anyway, the Doctor's a loner too, so we make a perfect fit." 

"We complement our Doctors perfectly." 

"That's right. I'm better off here than on earth." Sienna stood up, Sarah followed her out of the cloister room

****

In the darkened rooms, where the Doctors slept, a grayish substance formed on the doorframes, then slithered across the floor, up the side of the bed, then got under the sleeve of the Doctors' right arms. It quivered for a moment, then flattened itself out as far as it could go, then solidified. The Doctors' eyes opened up, emitting an eerie orange glow that could be seen from across the room. In each room, they sat up, shrugging off the bedcovers, then went out into the main hallway. They met up, each looking at the other with the identical orange glow that faded after a few moments. 

Going into the console room, they talked to each other, then began to adjust the controls. Sarah and Sienna walked in, surprised to see their Doctors up and about already. 

"Doctors!" Sarah exclaimed, going to her Doctor. "How are you feeling after all that?" he flipped a switch and ignored her. 

"Doctor! How rude to ignore Sarah like that." Sienna snapped. 

"Leave him alone, Sienna." her Doctor spoke, his voice normal but had a hard edge to it. She turned to him, watching his expressionless eyes as he keyed in random numbers on the console screen. 

"Since when do you let bad manners slide, Doctor?" her brown eyes challenged him. He looked up to face her, she was startled by no expression whatsoever in either Doctor's eyes. The blue and brown ones were completely devoid of any energy or emotion whatsoever. Instead they were hard and cold, with a little bit of menace in them. 

"Leave us alone, Sienna. We must work on the console." he all but sneered. 

"We're not going anywhere until you two recover fully from your wounds you got on that planet!" she made to steer him away from the console, but he shoved her into the wall with one strong push. Flabbergasted, Sienna froze there. The Doctors weren't known for striking their companions or lashing out in a negative manner ever in the history of the TARDIS. 

Sarah's jaw hung open, then she poked her Doctor's shoulder. "Are you going to let him lash out in such a way! Neither of you or your other incarnations have hit your companions before! Doctor, something's very wrong here! I-" she was cut off by her Doctor shoving her into a wall as well. Both girls crossed to meet each other halfway, then gave their Doctors an odd look. They were concentrating hard on the console, the TARDIS pitched and threw all of them off balance. The younger one barreled into Sarah while the older one knocked into Sienna. They got up and went back to the console without a word of concern to their companions, ignoring them once more. 

"Sarah, are you OK?" Sarah knelt down, coughing as the younger Doctor had headbutted her in her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. The older Doctor had given Sienna a black and blue mark on the right side of her chest where his fist had hit her. Sienna glared at the Doctors, who never looked at either of them. The girls disappeared as the Doctors glanced at each other, their eyes glowed orange for a moment. 

"Of all the pigheaded asswipes I've come across..." they shut themselves in Sarah's room. 

"It's all right. I'm all right," Sarah hastily corrected herself. "If they assault us again, we'll get them." 

"If?!" Sienna exclaimed. "If's a big word, Sarah. The word of uncertainty as I call it. No, maybe they're overworked right now and we should scram for awhile. Maybe they need a vacation from us and we them. You know?" 

Sarah propped herself up on her elbows. "Sounds interesting. Where should we go?" 

"How about the very top level of the TARDIS?" Sienna's eyes sparkled with adventure. "Have you ever been?"

"No. It's the 53rd level, I believe." 

"It is. Let's go for it!" they both grabbed their backpacks, stuffed a change of clothes in each, toiletries, then dashed to the elevator, playing Tag on the way. 

"You're it!" Sarah shoved at Sienna, then bolted for the elevator. Sienna laughed and chased after her, tagging her and announcing she was It now. Sarah reached the elevator first and jabbed at the button as Sienna caught up with her as it dinged and opened up. 

"No fair!" she panted. "I wasn't ready!" Sarah giggled and jumped in, followed by her friend. She pushed the button marked 53 and the elevator shot up. Sienna hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and looked at the buttons light up as they reached each floor. 

"What do you suppose is bugging our Doctors?" Sarah asked suddenly. 

"Who can tell? I mean, they're so fixated on their work, they'd never notice that we're gone. I've felt that way before and well...." Sienna trailed off, unable to finish her thought. 

"You feel taken for granted as well." Sarah supplied. Neither said another word until the elevator chimed, signaling their arrival on the very top level of the TARDIS.

"Oh, WOW!" they said simultaneously. The top floor of the TARDIS contained many rooms, each decorated with a theme from earth history. Six rooms had an Arabian theme, Roman, Renaissance Italy, western, Egyptian, and eighteenth century France. Sienna dashed to the Egyptian style room, shed her clothes, then reappeared dressed as an Egyptian noblewoman. A long white dress with wide gold colored collar flared out, covering all of her shoulders. She donned gold colored sandals, then pranced around for a laugh. Sarah looked into the room, then plucked out a lotus flower, sticking it behind her ear. 

"I've claimed my room for the night. Which would yours be, Sarah?" Sienna put on an armband, colored golden and shaped to look like a serpent. 

"Huh. Maybe the Roman theme." she exchanged her clothes for a laurel wreath in her hair above her ears, and a dark purple colored toga. Lace up sandals completed the outfit as she went to the entrance of the room, posing for Sienna, who laughed. 

"What else is up here?" they found an antiques room, a locker style bathroom, complete with six shower stalls, separated by the plastic black panels. Six sinks and toilets completed the wide room, black was the stall color, the tiled floor was black and white, the same with the walls. 

"Wow!" 

"Did it occur to you Sienna, that our Doctors have a preoccupation with black and white? I mean, the console room is stark white in itself." Sarah tested the faucet, but discovered she didn't know how to work it properly. Sienna stepped forward. 

"I saw these in the hospital a lot. Wave right there in front of that black spot with the red light." Sarah did so and the water came on. 

"Motion sensors!" Sarah exclaimed, seeing the paper towel roll had the same sensor on it, as did the soap dispenser. Sienna walked out, then opened up the french doors, which led into a wide grassy knoll with a white gazebo sitting quietly nearby. Much like the TARDIS gardens, they followed a flagstoned pathway up to the gazebo, where they sat down and enjoyed the view. 

"Oh my sweet God," Sienna spied a door nearby that read DAY SPA. "Sarah, are you ready for this?!" 

"I've never been to a spa in my entire life." 

"Well, let's go!" 

Back in the console room, the two Doctors continued to operate the console as the younger one knelt under it and began to fiddle with the circuits. The older one used his sonic screwdriver to open up some paneling and reroute some wires. 

****

As they entered the spa, a voice greeted them and told them what to do. Once they put their costumes in identical lockers and got into white terrycloth robes, they went into door number one. They straddled the beds, turning facedown and lowering the robes enough so they could get a good back massage. Two men appeared, beginning to give the girls the massage of their dreams. A small table with an incense holder appeared and Sarah looked over the assortment. 

"Which, Sienna?" she called to her friend. "Cranberry or lavender?" 

Her friend's eyes partially opened. "You decide. I don't care either way." 

"All right." grinning, Sarah chose lavender and lit it up. The sweet fragrance wafted over them both, relaxing them even more. 

When the men pronounced them done, the girls thanked them as they got up and went into door number two. Two long tubs of mud stood before them, with the same incense table between them, still burning the lavender. 

"Uh, you first, Sarah." Sienna turned her back as Sarah hung up her robe, then slipped into the tub. Averting her eyes while Sienna did the same, they spotted two basins in front of the tubs and wondered about them. Just then, the two men reappeared, the basins filled with water by themselves. Each girl was instructed to lean back as they adjusted the basins to the girls' levels. When satisfied, they produced odd smelling bottles and after saturating the girls' hair, they emptied the contents of the bottles into their hair. 

"What's that smell?" Sarah wrinkled her nose. 

"This is a mixture of egg and lemon juice," one told her. "It will give your hair a deep natural shine and bounce in it." 

"Wonderful." Sienna closed her eyes in delight as her hair was scrubbed and rinsed. When it was done, her hair was wrapped in a towel turban like. The two men began to apply a face mixture on, carefully coating every visible pore. 

"We will leave you in here an hour to absorb all the benefits of the treatment," one of the men told them. "Then our work is done." 

Neither girl bothered to answer as the smell of lavender and the relaxing moods lulled them to sleep. 

Wait a minute, the older Doctor thought. Something's not right here. 

Taking stock of himself, he realized all his limbs were intact and not hurting him, but he didn't feel right in his mind. Something was crowding him out of his own mind and body, a parasitic life form. The younger Doctor was still underneath the console, tinkering away. 

"Yahhh!" sparks erupted from underneath, causing the younger Doctor to jump out of the way and stand up. " What the devil was that?" he sounded like his old self, but in a moment, his eyes glowed orange and began to tinker with the console again. The older Doctor noticed the sudden abrupt change in mood, then hiked up his sleeves, ready to help repair. As he did so, he noticed a smooth gray substance on his arm. Trying to pry it off did no good, it was attached to him tightly. Upon closer inspection, he touched it and it glowed bright orange. 

The Time Lord has broken the hold! he heard a voice cry in his head. A blinding orange light flashed in his mind, then on the outside, his eyes glowed orange. 

An hour passed quickly by for the girls, seeming like they were asleep one second and that was it. Sienna and Sarah slowly woke up, finding their faces were clean of the goop, their hair was dry, and they were in their robes again, lying on the bed in the Egyptian room. Their costumes were hanging back up where they had found them last. Sarah yawned and sat up, echoed by Sienna. They found a small kitchenette nearby and whipped up a supper for them both. Sienna found a stereo system, pulled out her iPod from her bag, then plugged it in. She selected RESPECT by Aretha Franklin and jacked up the volume loud as it would go.

Both sang along, dancing as they mixed and stirred, giggling and laughing. 

"Hey! Baby, what you want," 

"You know I got it," Sarah chimed in. 

"Baby, what you need," 

"Uhhh, you know I got it!" 

"All I'm askin' is for a little respect when you get home! Hey yeah baby baby baby baby, when you get home!" 

When they were done, they tidied up the kitchenette, turned down the volume, then left to go into their rooms. Sienna wandered a little more, finding a small art gallery and another music room. The piano was a small spinnet style, unlike the baby grand she would often use. She tested the sound, flexing her long fingers and began to play. The sheet music for the song instantly appeared, which she followed.

"And there are voices  
That want to be heard  
So much to mention  
But you can't find the words  
The voice of magic  
The beauty within  
When love was wilder   
Than the wind  
Listen to your heart  
When he's calling for you  
Listen to your heart  
There's nothing else you can do  
I don't know where you're going  
And I don't know why  
But listen to your heart  
Before you tell him goodbye." 

Sienna finished the song, feeling like she'd unleashed her soul upon the words and sang them with conviction. She shut the shelf over the keys, then went to her room and went to bed. 

"What are you?" the younger Doctor asked. His mind's eye saw the thing that was possessing him, an X shape. 

I am taking a hold of you, Time Lord. It replied, the X shape quivered a bit. 

"But why?" 

You came to our planet. We have the right to come to yours. Tis only fair.

"You mean you inhabited that wasteland?" 

Algrion was a wonderful place for us! You had to come in and disrupt it!

"The Sontarans leveled off the population!" he protested. " There were no life forms on that planet at all!" 

Maybe to you, Doctor, but we were there. 

"How did you survive?" 

We went into a hibernation mode like we do every 200 years! We fed off of the nutrients of the soil. 

"What are you exactly?" 

Phanbiams! 

"To whom am I speaking then?" 

I am Ak'skor, the ruler! 

"Well then Ak'skor, trying to find another planet to feed off of life forms?" 

We fed off the soil nutrients, Time Lord! The X shape moved sharply. 

"Oh, come now!" he protested. "If you really did that, you wouldn't be so desperate to come and visit my planet, which by the way, doesn't exist anymore!" 

I underestimated you, Time Lord! 

"You wouldn't be the first!" he smirked. "So how's about letting me take my body back?" 

No! Stay back! an electric jolt kept the Doctor from attempting to take over his own body. 

"Where are our companions?"

Oh, we took care of them. A movement that might have been a smirk.

He felt despair washing over him. " You didn't kill them, did you?"

Not yet we didn't. He felt a wave of relief, but remembered that they did mean to kill the girls. 

****

The next day, Sarah and Sienna passed it by exploring the art gallery and further exploring the grassy hill. The gazebo was on a ledge that overlooked a smaller meadow, covered in wildflowers. They found a small stone staircase hewed out of the rock wall and descended carefully. Sienna brushed a bug off of Queen Anne's lace, tucking it behind her ear. Sarah found a yellow rose, then did the same as Sienna. They walked and explored for hours, only returning to the kitchenette for lunch and dinner. 

Sarah seemed a little down as Sienna served her. Sitting down across from her, brushing away a stray strand of hair out of her face, Sienna asked her what she was thinking. 

"We're only avoiding it, you know." 

"What?" 

"Talking with the Doctors. We have to let them know we don't like being taken for granted." 

Sienna took a drink of soda and swallowed. "You're right, Sarah. If it's unpleasant, we don't want to talk about it. The Doctors are the same way." 

Sarah picked up her fork, playing with it for a moment. "We go down after dinner and talk to them?" 

"All right." 

They did just that. Arriving back into the console room, they could see that they were not missed at all. Both Doctors were standing around and fiddling with the console like the girls had just left ten minutes ago. Sienna and Sarah went to their Doctors, approaching them hesitantly. 

"Doctors, we need to talk to you." Sarah began, but got no response. Sienna waved a hand in front of her Doctor's face, but got nothing. 

"Come on Doctors, this is serious shit." her eyes widened when she did not hear the usual lecture on swearing. 

"This has gone far enough!" Sienna grabbed her Doctor's arm, then yanked him away from the console angrily. "Freezing out your companions is NOT a good idea, Doctor!" 

His head twisted at an angle as the older Doctor looked at Sarah, their eyes glowing orange. Dumbfounded, they said nothing as the eye glow dissipated as the older Doctor pinned Sarah against the wall, his hands at her wrists, her arms up above her head. Sienna's arms were folded across her back, her face pressed up against the wall. She grunted, trying to break the grip he had on her as he breathed in her ear. 

"Let go of me, you alien halfwit!" she bellowed. 

"You will not talk to Ak'skor that way!" he bellowed right back. "Bow down before me, pitiful earth female!" 

"Who the hell is Ak'skor?" she caught a glimpse of Sarah, identical look of confusion on her face. Something had to break the stalemate, so Sienna stomped on the Doctor's foot, ducking out of his grasp and making for Sarah. The older Doctor turned, ready to take Sienna down. 

"Sarah, I want you to block off the corridor to the TARDIS, just stand there!" she directed. "Can't hunt them down in such a huge place if they try to make a run for it." Sarah nodded. 

Thinking quickly, Sienna dove between the older Doctor's legs, grabbing his scarf on the way. Her effort backfired, as he grabbed the scarf and yanked her towards him, rapidly doubling the scarf around her shoulders as she kicked and tried to punch him. Before he had time to tighten the scarf, she slipped her hands out from under it, gripped his coat, brought up her knees and thrust a knee kick at his stomach. He dropped the scarf, falling down as Sienna fell as well. She managed to roll away from the older Doctor, keeping out of his grip. 

Standing up, the younger Doctor watched Sienna, making a move toward her. Sarah saw this and jumped on his back and tried to punch him, but he flung her off and she smacked against the wall, slumping against it. 

"Sarah!" Sienna checked her friend over, finding her knocked out from the impact. Sarah would be okay, as long as she was out of the way. Sienna moved her out of the room, in the corridor, a few feet away. The younger Doctor put his arms around Sienna's neck, trying to strangle her as the older Doctor watched. Sienna lurched towards the wall, using her feet to propel her up the wall and turning a neat flip so she was behind the Doctor. Astonished, his armhold broke as she swiped back her hair from her eyes. 

"Always wanted to do that." she flashed a grin before turning serious again. 

The younger Doctor moved away as the older one, sneaking up on Sienna, the scarf wielded like a weapon. Sienna whirled around, snatching it, then grabbing an end, she twisted it, looped it around his neck, tightening it up. He choked, but then picked up Sienna like she was a child and threw her into the wall beside Sarah. The scarf untwisted around his neck as Sienna grasped it, taking it with her. Putting it around her shoulders, she thought it could be used as a weapon later on if worse came to worse. It was certainly safer with her than with him right now. Dazed, Sienna searched for anything that could be used as a weapon. The younger Doctor's sonic screwdriver was in his greatcoat pocket hanging on the coatrack. She made a dive for it, pulled out the screwdriver, then aimed it at the console. 

"No!" the younger Doctor cried as she pressed the button and sparks flew out. 

Sienna, panting a little from the effort, did not resist as the older Doctor folded her hands behind her back and brought her over to face the younger Doctor. The sonic screwdriver clattered to the floor as Sienna was forced to look into the possessed eyes of her Doctor. They glowed orange, then it faded to the cold hard brown. Her eyes widened as she heard a voice in her head. 

Sienna....

Doctor?

You need a power source to dislodge the parasites from our arms...

My guns? 

Something to destroy the hold they have on us.

Electric? 

No, that'd make them get bigger.....

The connection broken, Sienna noticed Sarah had awakened and was standing to one side. 

"Sarah!" the older Doctor's hands were on her shoulders now, crushing her down so she was kneeling. 

"What, Sienna?" 

"Small panel under the console....remove it!" 

Sarah did not object as Sienna struggled. Dodging the younger Doctor, she spied the panel underneath the console like Sienna had said, then wrenched it off. The bright light of the time vortex blinded them all and both Doctors began to scream. Sienna yelled for Sarah to close it, who did so, and the TARDIS returned to normal. Both of them watched as the screams stopped, the Doctors latched onto their companions' necks. Within thirty seconds, the glowing orange brightened to near white light, then disappeared. The older Doctor rolled up his sleeve, then observed the gray blob had dissolved, the steam still rising from his arm. The gray blob sat motionless on the floor, same for the younger Doctor. 

The girls, breathing hard, watched as the Doctors returned to normal. The light came back into their eyes, they shook their heads, then looked at the girls. Sarah and Sienna looked back at them, watching them closely for any sign of the parasites still remaining. 

"You girls did it!" the younger Doctor exclaimed joyously, wrapping Sienna in a hug. Sarah watched as her Doctor gave her his blinding smile and she lunged for him, giving him a bear hug. 

"You two all right? All yourselves?" Sarah inquired as they all stood up. 

"Quite, Sarah," her Doctor smiled. "Let's replace his sonic screwdriver in where it belongs, then we all go for some tea and jelly babies." Sarah giggled.

"Thank God for you, Doctor," Sienna looped her arm in with his as they walked down towards the kitchen. "Your telepathic and my sensitive abilities came in handy this time." 

"And will in the future, I bet." 

"Sienna?" the older Doctor asked as she turned to him. "What are you doing with my scarf?" 

Indeed, his multicolored scarf was still around her neck. She unwound it and handing it over, explaining: "I took it from you because you tried to strangle me with it. If worse came to worse, I would have been forced strangle you." 

****

The tea brewed, Sienna's cocoa made, they all sat down in the library, snacking on jelly babies and Sienna's favorite treat, Goldfish crackers. The TARDIS cupboard had an infinite supply of everyone's favorite things "The old girl always likes to keep her passengers happy." the younger Doctor chirped happily.

Putting down her mug, Sarah began: "Sienna and I have discussed this between ourselves when we went to the very top of the TARDIS last night. We think it's best that we tell you." 

The Doctors exchanged a look then looked back at the girls. Sarah had her Doctor's hat on, Sienna was wearing her Doctor's brown pinstriped tie. Sienna had playfully teased her Doctor about not wearing such a cool hat, which he'd roll his eyes and say they went out of style centuries ago. Sarah would sometimes tease her Doctor about the scarf he always wore, saying it reminded her of a snake and she didn't care for snakes. 

"What, are you two leaving us?" 

"Right to the point as always, Doctor," Sienna told hers. "No, we're not leaving. Our main concern right now is you both treat us like we're taken for granted here. We don't like it and thought you should know about it." 

"You often treat us like we're just the hired help and don't seem very interested in who we are as people," Sarah put in. "It's not right to us and we know you're better than that." 

"We know we can be a burden sometimes," Sienna put that in to see the Doctors' reaction so she could gauge it as to how much they understood of what they were saying. "It isn't easy carting two bitchy women around all the time." 

"Language," her Doctor reminded her, making her smile. He truly was back, all right! "We know and understand your viewpoints, girls. Don't worry, your feelings are understood and we apologize for making you feel like you're taken for granted. You're a special girl, Sienna, and I hope you let me know if I do anything else that makes you feel uncomfortable. I may be telepathic, but you girls are hard for me to figure out, even after 900 years." 

"You look good for your age." she giggled, welcoming his arm around her shoulders. Sienna snuggled up to him on the love seat, both began to talk about different subjects. The older Doctor looked at Sarah, offering his apologies if he made her feel like if she was taken for granted. She smiled and thanked him. 

"And now Doctor, what do you say that we go and visit UNIT and Harry?" 

"The clumsy ham fisted idiot?" 

"Doctor!" Sarah stared him in the eye. "He may not be a Time Lord, but he is smart, a lieutenant and surgeon in UNIT, and all that. Why can't you see his intelligence?" 

"I can, Sarah. I suppose it's the arrogant side of me." he grinned.

"I suppose a trip to 1975 UNIT would be in order." 

"I've been with you for about 6 months now Doctor." 

"Earth time. Yes, it would be. Think old Harry would enjoy another trip into the unknown?" 

"I suppose. If they don't mind," Sienna and her Doctor were still chatting. "And if he can keep his mitts to himself!" they both laughed together.

A few moments later, Sienna mentioned they went to the very tip top of the TARDIS and found the different themed rooms, grassy hill, flower meadow, kitchenette, gym style shower and toilet facilities, and the day spa. 

"I haven't been up there in a long time," the older Doctor remarked. "There is an art gallery up there too, if I remember correctly." 

"You girls went into the spa, didn't you?"

"Of course, Doctor! It was just what we wanted. There's another music room up there too." Sienna answered. 

"We'll all get up there sometime and explore the meadow. Picnic out there maybe?" Sarah smiled, her Doctor could see her fatigue in her eyes. 

"It's been a long day, hasn't it? Bedtime." 

"We haven't been sleeping well, Doctors. I don't know why, but we haven't." they were guided to their rooms. 

"Really? Hard time staying asleep, or getting to sleep at all?" 

"Staying asleep, Doctor. Sarah gets nightmares and I can't stay asleep to save my life. It was a little better yesterday because we weren't stressed out, but I don't know about tonight..." 

"Well, maybe the TARDIS has been interfering in that respect. A malfunctioning part of her interfering with sleeping brain waves?" he questioned his older self, who shrugged. 

"Could be possible. The beta brain waves which are present during sleep could be disrupted like that....let's go figure it out." 

"In the meantime?" Sienna leaned against her door tiredly. 

"Try to sleep, I mean you wore yourself out today. Maybe you'll sleep better now." 

"OK. Hope you don't have any nightmares tonight, Sarah." 

"Thanks." 

"Tell you what, Sarah. After we fix up the console, I'll come in. Hopefully you'll be asleep and I will be with you in case you show signs of a nightmare. During which I can connect my mind to yours and help you." 

"I like that idea." she said goodnight and went to bed.

Thirty minutes later, the younger Doctor found the malfunctioning piece of equipment and with his older self helping, they fixed it up, tucked it back into the panel, then screwed the panel back down. 

"I'll be with Sarah." 

"I'll be with Sienna." they went to their companions' bedrooms. The younger Doctor kicked off his shoes and blazer, putting them aside and changing into his pajamas. He cuddled up with her, relaxing and falling asleep himself. 

The older Doctor removed his clothes, getting into polka dotted pajamas and slippers, lying on the bed with the woolen blanket over him. He quietly listened for signs of distress, but was very tired from his possession. So, he mentally instructed the TARDIS to rouse him if Sarah was having a nightmare. The TARDIS chugged along, but he felt a warmth in his mind that he knew was from the old girl. 

The next morning, Sarah walked into the kitchen, getting coffee, clad in her pink pants and white t-shirt. She wore tiny stud earrings shaped like rainbows with a matching barrette, bracelet, and necklace. On her feet were red sneakers with pink laces. Both Doctors looked up and greeted her as they drank their own coffee. She sat down with them and asked where Sienna was. 

"Still asleep," the younger one put down his mug, which had a picture of the Kasterboros constellation on it. "She always sleeps until noon." 

"I never did that," Sarah chuckled. "Wastes away half the day." 

"She needs her sleep." the older one turned a book page. 

"Yes, I suppose... She once asked me whether I'd want a grouchy girl up at nine AM, or a happy girl getting up around ten thirty or noontime. Sienna's a bear when she doesn't get the rest she needs or wants. So where to today?" he asked, getting up and rinsing out his mug.

"UNIT, 1975. Thought we'd pay a visit to Harry and the Brigadier." 

"All right! It's been some time since I saw Harry last." 

"He doesn't die in the line of duty, does he?" 

"No he doesn't, Sarah. He sticks with UNIT, goes over to NATO, then goes into retirement at age 40, opens his own practice and has a good life." 

"Glad to know." Sarah grinned.


	17. Gorluks

The Gorluks

4/10/Sarah Jane/Sienna/Harry Sullivan/Brigadier/Benton/UNIT/

Action/Adventure

"Sarah? Sienna?" the older Doctor called, flinging his scarf back over his shoulders. "Where the devil did those girls get to this time?" 

The younger Doctor looked up from the floor, where he was sitting and constructing something. " You know the girls, they're probably out by the gardens again, planting something." six circles embedded with microchips and other hardware were sitting near him, he picked up one and aimed his sonic screwdriver at it. The older Doctor flipped the TARDIS switch to open up the doors. 

"Here we are, Doctors!" Sarah chirped happily. She wore black knee length boots, a blue skirt that stopped an inch above her knees, a ruffly peasant blouse, and the necklace she'd constructed under Sienna's guidance. Sienna had helped her make a set of earrings to match, her hair showed them off nicely. Sienna was attired in a dress they had never seen her before wear. It was in a red, green, and gold paisely design, she wore a small red necklace and dark pink earrings to match. 

" Sienna, where did you find that dress?" her Doctor asked her.

She tossed her hair back, fastening the left front side down with a hair clip. "This is my dress, Doctor. I brought it with me. Wore it to my high school graduation and never since. Thought it would be nice to wear again, surprised I still fit into it." 

"Very nice," the Doctors appraised them. Sienna wore the black knee high boots like Sarah had on. "Are you ready to meet Harry and the Brigadier?" 

"I wouldn't say no." Sarah smiled. 

"I'm always ready to meet someone new, Doctor." they departed the TARDIS and walked into UNIT headquarters. 

In the lobby, they checked in at the reception desk and were greeted by the warrant officer Benton. "Hello, Doctor! I see you brought an entourage with you and Miss Smith." 

The Doctor grinned broadly. "There's quite the explanation for that, Mr. Benton. Is the Brigadier and Harry in today?"

"They just went into one of the labs, I'll take you straight in." he led them down the hall and through another corridor, opening up the third door on the right. He stood to one side with a salute as the Doctors returned it and the girls smiled their thanks. The Brigadier and Harry looked up from where they were sitting, the shuffling of papers and murmured discussions ceased. Harry turned to look at them, clad in his lieutenant's outfit, face breaking into a smile. The Brigadier jumped up and offered a handshake of greeting, nodding to the two ladies present. 

"Ah, Doctor," the Brigadier said in his brisk, friendly, get-down-to-business tone. "I'm glad you're here. You and Miss Smith. These are?" 

"Things will get a little complicated to be sure. I'll do my best to explain." he adjusted his fedora and offered his megawatt smile. The Brigadier and Harry exchanged a look as they all sat around the table. 

"I'm the fourth incarnation of the Doctor. This one here is my tenth. This is his companion, Miss Sienna Blackman," Harry and the Brigadier welcomed them warmly. 

"As to how we crossed paths, Brigadier, they were taken prisoner by the Daleks. My tenth self encouraged Miss Blackman to escape on her own, giving her his sonic screwdriver and directions to transmat where Sarah and myself were. We were on a planet adjacent to Skaro, she came and enlisted our help to rescue her Doctor. The Daleks attached a device to their TARDIS, which sent it into random places in any universe, really. So we travel together now, until they find their TARDIS." 

"Quite a tale, Doctor," the Brigadier shifted in his chair. "So how do we tell you apart?" 

"Just call me Doctor 10," the younger one spoke up. "Save us some confusion." 

Sienna, sitting across from Harry, felt the surgeon lieutenant's eyes on hers. She did not look in his direction, exchanging a look with Sarah. The younger Doctor adjusted his tie for a moment, then gave Sienna a look. 

"So what planet are you from, Miss Blackman?" the Brigadier asked, hoping to dissolve the awkward silence. 

"I'm from earth, Brigadier. The twenty first century, to be exact." she answered, after giving her Doctor a questioning look. He understood, mentally signaling to her that it was OK to tell them. 

"How old are you, Miss Blackman?" she looked into Harry's blue eyes and gave him a small smile.

"24, Dr. Sullivan." 

"And your occupation?" 

"I was between jobs when his eighth incarnation's TARDIS saved me." 

"Saved you?" 

"Yes. My parents are drug and alcohol abusers, you see. I was adopted into a family. One day when I went out to find out what the noise was behind my apartment complex, I found the blue police box there. Unfortunately, my parents jumped me and even though I took self defense and I know how to fight if necessary, I was pinned up against the TARDIS. The blue door opened up, I fell in, then the old girl gassed me. When I woke up, I wandered the TARDIS, then met him." 

"Interesting, Miss Blackman," Harry riveted his eyes to her. "I would like to know more. Where did you work previously?"

"I worked in a hospital since I graduated high school. Horribly mundane boring tasks, so I resigned." she leveled his gaze with him, wondering how he would take that information. Sienna wanted to irk him a little bit so she could gague his moral center and overall personality. 

Sure enough, Harry cleared his throat and prepared an answer carefully. "It may have seemed boring and mundane to you, Miss Blackman, but those rooms are filled with sick and wounded people. It's not like they could put on a show for you as soon as you came in." 

She pretended to mull it over. "That may be correct, Dr. Sullivan, but it just did not work for me anymore. It was drab and uninteresting," an idea sparked in her mind and voiced it: "Besides, with all the lawsuits against doctors in my time, most of them were neglected and not recieving the best of care they were entitled to." 

"That is intolerable!" Harry sputtered. "The very idea!" 

"Well, it was interesting for that little bit of time, then everything just became dull and unexciting again. I felt it was time to move on." Sienna spoke blandly, feigning indifference. There had been a few lawsuits in the hospital where she had worked, causing media attention, but it was resolved almost before it had begun. 

"Those lawsuits should never have happened in the first place." 

"Well they did, Dr. Sullivan," Sienna was getting tired of the conversation. "And personally, I didn't care one way or another." 

"Well, what do you say Benton, take Miss Blackman and Miss Smith on a tour of the facility?" the Brigadier interrupted and stood up. The rest stood up as well, then went to the door. Benton smiled at Sarah and Sienna, but the latter had different ideas. 

"I say, may I have a look at the infirmary or sickbay or whatever you call it here?" 

The Brigadier looked at Harry, who hesitated. "Of course you may, Miss Blackman. If you'll follow me, it's down this corridor here..." they departed. Benton gestured out of the room and Sarah went out. The Doctors followed her, quietly conversing between themselves. 

"Doctors, why did Sienna say those things?" Sarah turned her head to look at them. 

"If I know Sienna, she's testing Harry," the younger one looked thoughtful. "She says different things to try to gague his response and determine his character and moral sense. She's getting quite good at it, I think." 

"Oh, is that what that was," Sarah opened up a door and went through it. "It seemed like she was determined to get Harry angry." 

"She was," the older one shut the door behind them, now outside. They began to follow a brick pathway. "Which is how she can ascertain his character and such." 

"Maybe I'll start doing that," Sarah remarked. "Seems to work." 

The Doctors exchanged a look, rolling their eyes in unison. 

****

"This is our sickbay, Miss Blackman," the Brigadier opened the door for her, gesturing her in. "I think you'll find it in spotless order. Dr. Sullivan and the other practicing doctor here keep it to strict standards." 

"They have to be very strict standards indeed. Thank you, Brigadier." she shook his hand and smiled at him. 

"There's a recreational room a few doors down from here on your right side." he left her to her own devices as Harry was called away to attend to an emergency. Sienna washed her hands and began to visit with some of the wounded and ill men. 

"Nurse?" one called, brushing aside his separation curtain. She came to his side, noticing he was out of tissues and his pitcher of water was empty. Her hospital training kicking in, she refilled the pitcher and brought a new box of tissues for him. 

"I'm not a nurse, just a visitor," she drew up a chair and sat down next to him. "What ails you, my good sir?" 

The chubby gentleman, with blonde hair and brown eyes, looked at her, then answered: "Head cold. They want me in here in case I spread it to the rest of my division." 

"Oh," she nodded. "Cheer up! Those only last for a week or two." 

"Feels like forever." he blew his nose, a loud trumpet blast that made Sienna giggle. 

"When I tried to play trumpet, I sounded just like that." he giggled in turn. 

"I'm Miss Blackman. Nice to meet you, Mr?" 

"Ellis. Dominic Ellis." they did not shake hands, but acknowledged each other with gentle smiles. Sienna drew herself up, donned rubber gloves, then tucked him in more securely. 

"Well, Mr. Ellis. Are you bored out of your mind? Or would you like to sleep now?" 

He blinked and raised himself up on his elbows. "I don't know about you, but I could use a good game of Blackjack to pass the time." 

"If you're in quarantine like this, you may contaminate the cards," she remembered. "I'm sorry I suggested it. Look, perhaps I can do something else with you. Do you feel sleepy at all?" 

Mr. Ellis relaxed, feeling his nose become congested again. "Something to rid me of this damned congestion." 

Sienna rose. "I'll show you an old trick that helped me sleep when I had a head cold." she used a clean washcloth, dampened it, then folded it up lengthwise. She put it over his nose carefully, taking care there wasn't any water runoff. 

"This is better." Mr. Ellis commented. 

Grinning, Sienna explained. "The wetness helps to keep those nasal passages open longer. When Dr. Sullivan comes back, he can give you an anticongestion medication that'll work longer." 

"Thank you, Miss Blackman." Mr. Ellis's eyes closed. 

"You're welcome, Mr. Ellis," she set his tissues closer and made sure a glass of water was ready for him. "You're very welcome indeed." 

At the same time, Sarah and the Doctors still chatted, including Benton in, telling him of their past adventures. 

"So you've been here in the twenty first century." 

"That's right, Mr. Benton." the older Doctor grinned.

"So the world doesn't end at the stroke of midnight on Dec 31, 1999." 

The Doctors erupted in laughter as Sarah giggled. "I'm sorry, Mr. Benton, but the whole idea is preposterous. No, it doesn't end, though there were a lot of people who were convinced otherwise. A lot of unnecessary panic went on, but everything went on all right." 

"And Miss Blackman? She was from America, I can tell that much because of her accent, but where?" 

"Rock Island, Maine." the younger Doctor twiddled with his sonic screwdriver.

"Ah, New England." Benton commented. 

"Yes, she's been from New England to old England." Sarah giggled again.

"So how has UNIT been since I've left last, Mr. Benton?" the older Doctor tilted his hat to avoid the sun.

"It has been very quiet since those androids came in, Doctor. Nothing spectacular, no Krynoids or anything alien. I daresay, the Brigadier will be bored soon." 

"Cheer up, Mr. Benton," the younger Doctor chirped gleefully. "Nothing ever stays quiet for long!" 

"Yes. I only hope Miss Blackman and Dr. Sullivan will get along all right." 

"They will. Sienna's usually on her guard with new people. She'll get comfortable with him, you'll see." 

"I wouldn't doubt you ever, Doctors." 

Meanwhile, Sienna stretched out and yawned, it was well past five PM and she was hungry. Harry had been away for two hours, Mr. Ellis was still asleep, and the Brigadier was lurking somewhere. Probably in a meeting, she thought. 

"Ah, Miss Blackman!" the Brigadier found her sitting by the window, her feet up on the sill. "I was heading off to grab some dinner. Care to join me?" 

"I would be honored to, Brigadier!" she beamed. 

In the mess hall, Sienna had a quiet dinner with the Brigadier. They talked over his military training and his transferring over to UNIT. He told her some of when the Doctor first started on as a scientific advisor for them, his old assistant Jo Grant, and how he'd seen the Doctor regenerate twice. 

"Interesting," she mused. " I didn't see him regenerate at all." 

"Didn't you travel with his eighth self? And he's now in his tenth incarnation?" 

"Yes, I should explain," she gave him an embarrassed grin. "The eighth Doctor was called to Gallifrey, his home planet. We had picked up his tenth self because he'd become separated from his TARDIS. When he found it, he offered me a place on it. The eighth one told me he'd never forget me, telling me to go on with his tenth self because no humans were allowed on Gallifrey." 

"I see." he chewed over that thought for a moment. 

The Brigadier launched into a lengthly tale about the encounter with the Zygons, a tale in which Sienna was fascinated in. When they were done, he escorted her back to the sickbay, where Mr. Ellis was still asleep. Sienna resumed her position at the window.

"There is a bunkroom nearby where Dr. Sullivan and I sleep," the Brigadier told her. "There are four extra beds for you and your friends. Dr. Sullivan and I usually go to bed around nine thirty." 

"Thank you very much, Brigadier," Sienna rewarded him with her dazzling smile. "You've been very kind to me." 

A faint flush was noticeable on his cheeks as he gallantly kissed her hand and left. Sienna had to smile for a moment, then turned to her thoughtful mood as she stared out the window. 

****

At eight PM, Sienna switched on the lights, being careful not to disturb Mr. Ellis. He stirred once, then woke up as she was checking on him. 

"What time is it?" 

"Eight PM, Mr. Ellis. Can I get you something?" 

"Can you help me get to the loo?" she had him stand up by himself, and taking her gloved hand, she steadied him and gently helped him in. A few moments later, she was helping him back into bed. Mr. Ellis relaxed as Sienna redampened the washcloth and put it on the bridge of his nose again. He pulled up his covers, murmuring his appreciation, then closed his eyes. It seemed to Sienna that he needed something more to fall asleep, then began to think. 

"Would you like a little song to help you sleep?" 

"What song do you know?" 

"None that you know, but they're very soothing." she assured him. 

"'Kay." he muttered. 

Sienna racked her brains as she wondered what song she could sing him. One word hit her: Chicago. Had the musical come out yet? Sienna wasn't sure, but if it hadn't come out yet, it would be soon. It had come out sometime in the seventies, she knew that much.

Clearing her throat, she began:

"You can like the life you're living  
You can live the life you like  
You can even marry Harry  
But mess around with Ike  
And that's good  
Isn't it grand?  
Isn't it great?  
Isn't it swell?  
Isn't it fun, isn't it?  
But nothing stays  
In fifty years or so  
It's gonna change, you know  
But oh, it's heaven  
Nowadays." 

Seeing that Mr. Ellis was sound asleep, Sienna switched to a different tune for herself. She moved around, tidying up the sickbay a little as she sang a little bit to herself. 

"Do you remember me  
Lost for so long  
Will you be on the other side  
Or will you forget me?  
I'm dying, praying, bleeding, and screaming  
Am I too lost to be saved  
Am I too lost?  
My God, my tourniquet  
Return me to salvation." 

"Well, that's a cheery verse to be singing." a voice said from the doorway. Sienna turned. Harry stood there, clad in his white coat, hands in the pockets. He walked towards Sienna, who stood motionless, unknowing what to expect. 

"Did Mr. Ellis give you any trouble?" he asked, pausing at his patient's bed. 

"No, actually, he didn't. I made myself useful, Dr. Sullivan. I helped him when nature called and used an old trick to help keep the congestion away. I even sang to him to help him sleep." Harry looked at her, moving closer. Sienna pretended not to notice, deciding to see if she could get him mad again. An evil little grin quivered at the corners of her mouth, wondering how he would take what she had to say next. 

"Did you have supper yet?" he inquired. "I didn't see either Doctor or Sarah there." 

"I had a nice quiet supper with the Brigadier. He entertained me with stories of the Doctor's past." she leaned against the windowsill, eyeing Harry's textbooks. 

"Impressive collection, Dr. Sullivan." 

"Why thank you." he seemed taken aback.

"Hmmmm...where I come from, these books are considered prehistoric, pretty much." 

Harry reeled back like she'd slapped him. "That may be true for you, but I'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from such comments while you're here!" 

Sienna bit back a smile. She often liked to bait people and make them mad. It was bad manners to do so, but she still did it. 

"All right, I acquiesce, Dr. Sullivan. Where were you anyway?" 

"Man went down with a ruptured appendix, I had to operate and save his life." 

"With a three or four inch scar, yes?" 

"Yes. So?"

"A week of bedrest or ten days here. Depending on how he handles that, he might have wished you let him die." it struck her as incredibly funny and she bit back a big smile as Harry glared at her. Sienna had been hearing horror stories about operations in the seventies when her maternal grandmother came to visit, and some of her friends came as well. 

"I think that's enough out of you, Miss Blackman." he snapped. 

"All right. Good night, Dr. Sullivan." she walked out of the room, finding the bunkroom the Brigadier mentioned earlier. As soon as she walked in, Sarah was there, lying her bunk. Sienna claimed the bunk next to her. Once she was situated in the bunk, Sienna began to laugh, leaving Sarah mystified. 

"What is it, Sienna?" 

"I love it! I called Harry's books prehistoric and I like watching him get mad. It's funny to me for some reason. I know I should stop, though." she looked over to the other bunks. The older Doctor's hat was on one, the other had the younger Doctor's blazer and tie. 

"That's so rude, Sienna!" Sarah admonished her. "Do try to stop. Harry and the others will be coming in here in half an hour." 

"Okay, okay," Sienna put on the nightshirt she'd been issued, then got into bed. "I'll be good tomorrow, Sarah. When Harry asks how come I know so much about hospitals, show him my surgery scar. If he asks tonight and I'm asleep." she added. 

"All right. Good night, Sienna." 

****

An hour later, both Sarah and Sienna were conked out in bed, when the Doctors, the Brigadier, and Harry walked in, ready to hit the sack. Sarah woke up as the older Doctor stubbed his toe against the foot of her bed. The Doctors and the Brigadier went to sleep almost immediately, but Harry stayed up a little while longer to chat with his old friend Sarah. After a short conversation, Sarah noticed Harry's gaze fall on Sienna's still form.

"How long have you four been traveling together? What's she really like?" 

"About two or three months now, Harry. She's a laugh riot when she wants to be, she's tough, can handle firearms, smart. She has a lot of hospital knowledge." 

"How is that possible? The average person doesn't know that much about a hospital and it's staff, not to mention procedures." 

"I'll show you," Sarah hopped over Sienna's bed, drew down the blanket. "Come over, Harry." 

"Are you sure, Sarah?" 

"She won't mind," she drew up Sienna's nightshirt, careful not to show Sienna's undergarments. "See that scar?" 

Harry looked closely. "I do say, I think you're right, old girl." Sarah smacked Harry on the arm lightly as he smirked. 

To the immediate left of her navel, there was a scar, curving a bit around it. Staple pock marks were evident, a dark pink color, indicating the healing going on. Harry furrowed his brow and examined it closely, then leaned back.

"So that's how she knew. I'll talk with her tomorrow. Good night, Sarah." 

"Good night, Harry." 

The next day, after breakfast, Sienna and Sarah went to the TARDIS that was parked in the nearby courtyard to change into fresh clothes. Sarah chose dark green pants, sneakers, and a light green top with a denim jean jacket. Sienna chose to wear her combat gear, substituting her hiking boots for her sneakers. Her cell phone was clipped to her belt, as well as her Leatherman and knockout lipstick. The blue cami top she partially hid by wearing her leather jacket, it was a bit cold outside for her. 

"The Brigadier and we are going to check out a few things about ten miles from here," the older Doctor told the girls. "You have your cellular phone, Sienna?" she flashed it and put it away. 

"Good. We shall be back in a few hours. Mr. Benton will check up on you periodically, you are to be with Harry where he can keep an eye on you both." 

"We're grown women, Doctor!" 

"In an unfamiliar place, mostly. Stick with them." 

"Taking Bessie?" Sarah grinned. The Doctor grinned back, he was fond of his car. 

After the Doctors left with the Brigadier, Sienna and Sarah walked around the UNIT property, gossiping to themselves. They had lunch in the mess hall, then went into the sickbay. Mr. Ellis had been discharged from Harry's care that morning, to Sienna's delight. 

"How about another walk, Sarah?" Sienna suggested. They both went for another one, spying a small hill nearby. Sienna jumped, climbing on top of the hill and looking around. Sarah followed her, admiring the view. It was a quiet place, very serene, with a wonderful view. A few birds circled overhead, squawking, then flying away. Squirrels chittered, scolding, tree leaves rustled in the slight breeze. 

"Time to get back." Sarah suggested after ten minutes of idle gazing. She scurried down quickly, then turned to look up at Sienna. Ever the showoff, Sienna had grasped a tree branch, swinging into the tree and sitting on a wide thick branch. 

"Don't showoff, Sienna! Come down from there!" Sarah called. Sienna grinned and waved, preparing to do some stunts. She never got around to it, as the branch snapped and she fell to the ground with a yelp of surprise. Sarah dashed over to where her friend was lying, immediately checking for any blood. Turning over, Sienna looked at her friend with eyes and an expression of pain. 

"Sarah, go get help." 

"What about you? Are you OK? Can you walk?" 

"Listen, go get Harry and Mr. Ellis. He can carry me back in, I know I strained or sprained my ankle, and my head's bothering me. I bet I'm concussed to a degree. Go and get them." 

"I can't leave you alone!" 

"You also can't drag me back there!" 

"Wait! Your phone!" Sarah remembered. Sienna passed it to her and she called for Harry.

"Sullivan." 

"Harry, it's Sarah." 

"Didn't you two go for a walk?" 

"Yes." 

"Then how are you calling me?" 

"Sienna owns a piece of twenty first century technology called a mobile or cellular phone. I'm calling you from it." 

"Oh. What is it then?" 

"There's been an accident and-"

"Are you all right?" 

"It's not me! It's Sienna. She thinks she sprained her ankle and got concussed. She had a bad tumble." 

"I'll bring out Ellis so he can carry her in." 

"Good." she gave directions to where they were and glanced at Sienna, unsure of how to end the call. 

"Flip it closed." Sienna reholstered it to her belt, then her eyelids drifted closed.

Five minutes later, Ellis reached them first. The previously sick army man waited for Harry to examine Sienna carefully, then knowing nothing was broken, he picked her up gently, they all started back. 

"How will she be, Harry?" 

"We'll need an X ray to determine if she is concussed or not. Other than that and the slight sprain she recieved, I think she'll be fine in time." Harry answered. 

"I'm just glad it wasn't worse than this." 

"Yes, she's lucky." 

Half an hour later, with Sienna installed in a bed nearest the window she had sat by last night, she was lying on top of the bed, still in her clothes. Sarah looked over Harry's shoulder while he looked at the X rays he had obtained of Sienna's head. Ellis had left, with a wish that he be notified when Sienna woke up. Glancing at Ellis's departing back, Sarah guessed that Sienna had gained a new friend. She knew of Sienna's kind acts to Ellis last night when he was ill, and suspected he was trying to repay the kindness she had shown him. 

"She's got a hard head," Harry tapped his pen against the film. "A fall like that would have done more damage." 

"I suppose so." Sarah sat down and began to write on a legal pad, stealing one of Harry's pens. 

"What are you doing, old girl?" 

Sarah ignored his pet name for her, answering: "A new article, Harry." 

Harry crossed over to where Sienna was lying, prying open one of her eyes and examining the eye's response when he flashed a penlight into her pupil. 

"When shall she wake up?" 

"Impossible to determine, Sarah. Maybe an hour or so. She wasn't hit very hard, so she won't be unconscious for a whole day. Her ankle will be all right, provided she keeps off it for the next day." 

Two hours later, Sarah's article was half done, she and Harry were returning from teatime, when Sienna showed signs of reviving. Harry went over to her immediately, seeing her eyelids twitching a few times. Sarah sat down in a chair as Harry listened to Sienna's heartbeat.

"Least she doesn't have two hearts," he commented with a rueful grin. "Can you hear me, Sienna? It's Dr. Sullivan." 

Sienna's eyes opened up to half mast. " ...Sullivan?" her body turned icy cold and her hands shook a little bit. Harry gave her medicine, she sank into sleep. 

"Harry? What was that?" 

"We woke her up too soon, Sarah. She was going into shock, so I gave her some valium to help her sleep it off." 

"Oh. Well, what shall we do now?" 

Harry sat down with his friend. " Wait until the shock and drugs wear off. That's all we can do." 

"Right." Sarah began the second half of her article while Harry wrote up his notes on Sienna. 

****

"Well, what do you think, Doctors?" the Brigadier asked, showing them a small crater mark in the ground. The younger Doctor waved his sonic screwdriver around it, listening to the buzzing sound as the blue tip lit up. 

"Faint electromagnetic pulsations still evident," he looked at his older self. "Something landed here within the last week. These type of readings can last for about two weeks at the longest time." 

The older Doctor adjusted his scarf as he bent to examine the readings with his own sonic screwdriver. The Brigadier watched them, uneasy in his mind, but firm in his convictions that the Doctors would help them to figure out what had gone on othere. Both Doctors conferred with each other, muted mumblings that the Brigadier was unable to make out. Finally, they both stood up and faced the soldier, getting into Bessie. 

"Your analysis and conclusions, Doctors?" the older one started up Bessie and they began driving back towards UNIT base. 

"Our conclusions at this stage in the game is that some extraterrestrial ship did crash on here. The crater is about six feet in diameter, wide enough for small alien forces to travel in. We must use this soil we have unearthed at the site to analyze it and determine if there's any unusual minerals or elements in it. That will give us more of an idea of what we're facing." the older Doctor answered, shifting into fourth gear. 

"Yes indeed," the younger one withdrew a small vial from his pocket. "We shall see." 

The Brigadier cleared his throat. "Miss Blackman last night told us of how she ended up traveling with you. I would like to know a little more about her, if you wouldn't mind sharing." 

"Well now," the younger Doctor drawled, considering his words carefully. "She traveled with my eighth self for about two and a half or three months, then I came up on the scene. He had to be called back to Gallifrey, so he suggested she come with me. Sienna carries those weapons you saw because awhile ago, she ended up in hospital because of an attack by those parents of hers. It seems all they do in life is drink and abuse drugs, and beat up on her. She has a half brother, which she has never met. Sienna swore that she would never be caught unaware again, trained with firearms and earned a permit to obtain them." 

"Perhaps I can take her out onto the firing range and see how good she is," the Brigadier half smiled. "After all, we do have the facilities for that." 

"Not a bad idea, Brigadier," the younger Doctor's electric smile lit up his face. " think she would like that very much." 

"I'm glad you think so, Doctor." 

When they reached the UNIT base, Benton met them as the older Doctor parked Bessie. 

"What is it, Benton?" 

"Miss Blackman, Brigadier," he answered. "She had a minor accident." 

"What sort of accident?" the older Doctor asked, his younger looking self coming up behind him. 

"According to Miss Smith, Miss Blackman had a dizzy spell and fell down a steep hill," Sarah had told a little white lie, to protect her friend's pride. She knew Sienna wouldn't have wanted the fact that she was swinging around in a tree to get out. " Dr. Sullivan has attended to her." 

"This way!" the Brigadier and the Doctors went over to the sickbay, seeing Harry transcribing his notes and Sarah working on an article. 

"Where is she?" the younger Doctor asked breathlessly. 

"She's perfectly fine, Doctor," Harry stood up. "She was starting to go into shock, so I sedated her so she could recover fully." 

"We know she had a fall. What are her injuries, Harry?" the older one turned away from her prone form on the bed and stared Harry in the eye. The younger Doctor sat in a chair by Sienna's bedside and checked her pulse for himself. Sarah and the Brigadier sat at the table, watching the scene before them. 

"A slight sprain in her right ankle, and a suggestion of a concussion. Not even a proper full one." he added. 

The older Doctor nodded. "Let's thank Rassilon for small favors then. Anyway, we need to get to the lab and analyze the soil sample we took from that UFO crater. Doctor, if you please." he gestured to his younger self, who picked the vial out of his pocket and both exited the room, followed by the Brigadier. Sarah shrugged and went back to writing as Harry pried open one of Sienna's eyelids to determine her pupils' response to light. 

"She'll come around at any time now, Sarah. I know I'll have to alert the Doctors when she does." 

"Reminds me of the time I was buried alive in the rock quarry," Sarah rolled her eyes. "The Doctor would never have found me if I hadn't screamed." 

"I did hear something about that, Sarah. What happened to you?"

"Harry, we mistakenly landed in a rock quarry that was about to be blown up. It was, we both were trapped in it. I found a stone shaped hand, grabbed onto it, screamed, then fainted. The Doctor found me, I was taken to the hospital, where that stone hand had a ring on it. The ring possessed me and the next thing I knew, I was in a decontamination room at a nuclear power facility." 

"An ordeal, to be sure." Harry scratched his head as he picked up his pen again. 

At the lab, the Doctors were pouring over data charts and putting the soil in the analyzer. The Brigadier came back in to mention something to them, making sure he had their attention.

"There is a costume masquerade tonight, a fundraiser the UNIT hopefuls are throwing tonight. You all can come, in costume of course," he cleared his throat. " This occurs every year, when the semester ends at military school and they raise funds enough to travel abroad." 

"Well, the TARDIS wardrobe has quite an array of costumes," the younger Doctor spoke up. "I believe you may count us in, Brigadier." 

"Yes." the older Doctor agreed, tearing off the printout of the soil analysis. 

"What does it say, Doctor?" the younger one put the soil sample on the countertop as his older self put the printout down on the table so they could both read it. 

"Potassium nitrate, charcoal, sulfur," he read aloud. "Common black powder. Probably from when the ship took off again. The afterburners would have spewed out excess black powder to get the engines clear and rocket up out of the atmosphere again." 

"Right. Magnesium powder and perchlorate oxidizer...flash powder. Another residue of the afterburners." his older self agreed. 

"So what we conclude that there definetly was an alien ship here....but we can't conclude indefinetly that it took off again. I think we may have to go back to the site and investigate further. I want Sarah and Sienna with us, when the latter revives, of course. We'll go tonight, after the masquerade party." the younger Doctor jumped up. 

"Why not now? Because after dark, we might find more chemicals, like phosphorous, which glows in the dark to an extent." the older Doctor proclaimed, answering his own question. Just then, Benton came in to find them, telling them that Sienna had awakened and wanted to see them. 

In the sickbay, Sienna was patient as Harry checked her pulse, her heart rate, and her blood pressure. Sarah still sat at the table, jotting down whatever came to her mind, idly writing whatever. The Doctors came in, along with Benton, who looked at Harry, then went off to find Ellis. Sienna looked up from where she was lying as Harry straightened up and saw the Doctors standing there. 

"Doctors!" Sienna was gently restrained by Harry, a wordless reminder that she should not be sitting up or she'll make herself sick. 

"Glad you're awake at last, Sienna," her Doctor sat on the edge of her bed. "There's a costume masquerade party going on tonight, the Brigadier says we're invited. Would you two girls like to go?" 

"You betcha!" Sienna exclaimed, echoed by Sarah. "Lucky the TARDIS has such a.....vast wardrobe, eh, Doctors?"

"Yes. With your permission, Harry, we'll go and get suited up. The party starts in an hour and a half." 

"Doctors, would you mind if I borrowed a costume from the TARDIS?" Harry inquired. 

"Come on, Harry." Sarah grinned as they marched back to the police box.

On the way, Harry told the girls that the older Doctor had tried on several outfits before settling on his peacoat in red or gray, pants in gray or tan, the scarf, and the hat. He had previously emerged from the TARDIS wardrobe wearing a viking outfit, a playing card, and a clown. Sarah and Sienna burst out laughing, teasing the Doctor, whose face was beet red. When they reached the TARDIS, they entered it and hustled down to the wardrobe. The girls pulled out several costume possibilities, as did the men, then all separated to try them on.

****

The older Doctor dressed up as the playing card that he liked so much, the younger Doctor attired himself in a western outfit, complete with chaps, boots, spurs, and a black gambler's hat. His peacoat was black, he'd taken the cravat he'd worn as the eighth Doctor, and knotted it together. Harry wore a Renaissance outfit, black breeches, black leather knee high boots, dark purple poet shirt, black neckerchief, and a black waistcoat with gold colored embroidery. 

"Not bad, Harry," the younger Doctor admired Harry's outfit. "That black and purple with the gold color works very well together." 

"You're not a fashion expert, are you, Doctor?" 

"Well, after regenerating nine times and having ten lives, during each, I assemble an outfit to always wear, I've come to believe that I do know a little something about fashion." he teased, flashing his big grin. 

Sarah appeared, dressed in a Renaissance peasant gown, white blouse, blue corset over it with straps going over her shoulders, a long black skirt, and black heeled shoes. Her heels clicked in a staccato rhythm, walking over, her long skirt sweeping the floor. She had put on a little makeup, a very thin line of black eyeliner, mascara, a medium shade of red lipstick. 

"Lovely, Sarah." her Doctor approved, making her blush with pride. 

"Sienna, get a move on in there! The party starts in fifteen minutes!" the younger Doctor clapped his hands in impatience.

"All right, all right," her muffled voice spoke. "For cryin' out loud, a Time Lord worrying about time." Harry snorted, but was silenced as the Doctors shot him a warning look together. The door opened and Sienna stepped out. 

"What do you think?" she grinned. On her head was a black leather pageboy hat, she had on big hoop earrings, a leather bustier that laced up in the front with black ribbon, a black miniskirt, black shiny leather knee high boots, and black leather biking gloves. The bustier had thin straps over each shoulder, and it only went as far as her ribcage, leaving her midriff wide open. 

"Skirt too high?" she had a riding crop in one hand, black leather bracelets were strapped to her forearm above her elbows. Her henna tattoos on her left upper arm were quite visible in the light. 

"Way too high." her Doctor finally spoke. 

"Thank God! I don't like wearing anything this high." she grabbed the skirt and pulled it down to an inch above her knees. Everyone realized she'd had the skirt at that length originally, but decided to try to go higher. Sienna smiled, leading the way out of the TARDIS as the rest followed her, dumbstruck. 

"Sienna, what is that outfit, originally?" Sarah caught up to her as they strode into the ballroom. 

"Biker chick!" Sienna laughed, noticing some guys eyeing her. Benton and the Brigadier showed up, the former dressed as a circus ringmaster, the latter dressed as an army general from Napoleon's time. 

"Ah, glad you can make it, Doctors, Dr. Sullivan, Miss Smith. Miss Blackman, that's quite the outfit." he noticed. Sienna turned from where a few guys were already talking to her near the punchbowl. 

"Thank you, Brigadier," she looked to see the other Doctors and Harry already mingling with the crowd. "It's the all leather biker's outfit." 

"Oh, do you ride?" 

"I used to, yes. I never liked motorcycles much. After driving a car and riding on a motorcycle, you feel less safe." 

"That is correct, Miss Blackman. I have felt that way myself." Sienna admired the gold colored epaulets on his shoulders. 

"If I do say so myself, Dr. Sullivan appears to be taken with you, Miss Blackman." the Brigadier said after a moment.

"Why would that be?" 

"Because he's been staring at you for the past few minutes. If you'll excuse me." 

"Of course, Brigadier." she nodded to him and shot a look at Harry, who pretended he hadn't been looking at her. 

Sarah caught up on her talking with a few of her journalist friends, the Doctors chatted with the other scientific advisors, Harry found some old friends to chat with, Sienna talked to the men who were admiring her. 

"Want to go out with me?" one asked. Sienna smelled a challenge, then decided to play hard to get. 

"Well, I don't know. Military has never been my cup of tea," she mocked the old British expression. "It's the man who is spontaneous who grabs my fancy." 

The curly redhead with brown eyes looked at her curiously. "I can be spontaneous." 

"I bet you could, sonny boy," she shot at him. "I'm not interested in anything beyond a little liplock wrestling, if you know what I mean." 

Harry looked up from his conversation to see Sienna and a man dressed as a French mime join hands and walk outside the door, both were grinning idiotically. 

Sarah elbowed Harry. "I know you like her!" she said, low. 

He colored red to the roots of his hair. "Shh!" was all he would reply. 

In the courtyard, the man dressed as a French mime pushed Sienna up against a pillar and deeply tongue kissed her. Sienna didn't mind, she slid her hands to his sides and rubbed her hands up and down to get him excited. 

"Name?" she asked when she could breathe again. 

"Russel Markham." he grinned, spying a stone bench near the pillar. Taking Sienna's arm, he got her to sit down on it, then proceeded to do heavy petting, trying to wordlessly coax her into lying down where she would be vulnerable and he could take advantage. Sienna was smart, she knew exactly what he was doing. She resisted his every attempt, flinching away when he tried sticking his tongue in her ear. Turning her back and crossing her arms, she hoped he would get the idea and they could both walk away with their pride intact. Markham didn't appear to be getting it, though. He forcibly pinned Sienna down and tried to mount her like he was getting on a horse, but she kicked him in the crotch and ducked away. 

"You think you're so smart," he huffed, getting up. "Nobody denies old Russ what he wants! Many girls would die of happiness if they were in your place." 

"Then go get one of those girls," Sienna retorted. "I don't like to be taken advantage of, buster." 

"Harry, look!" Sarah pointed out what looked to be a standoff between the mime and Sienna. Harry recognized the body posture immediately and dashed out the sliding glass doors to the courtyard. 

"Leave her be, Markham!" he shouted. "Before I report you!" Markham ignored Harry and backhanded Sienna across her face, causing her to stumble. Giving her a good thrust with his knees to her chest, Sienna doubled over in a coughing fit as Markham knelt down, sliding his hands in the back of her bustier, trying to loosen it. Harry ran over, using his officer training to get the young man off of Sienna. The Brigadier, alerted by Sarah, appeared on the scene with military police to take Markham away. 

"Everything all right here, Sullivan?" 

"Yes, sir. She just took a bad blow, knocked the wind out of her. Miss Blackman will be fine." 

"All right then. The party will be ending in an hour. Meet us in the conference room, as the Doctors have turned up evidence you should hear." 

"Yes sir." Harry turned to Sienna as the Brigadier disappeared. 

"It's all right, Sienna. I want you to open your eyes and look at me. Lie down." she found herself obeying him. Harry checked her over for any broken ribs, but noticed a black and blue mark just under the bustier, spreading rapidly. 

"You'll be sore in the morning, I imagine. Can you get up?" he helped her up and waited for her to get her bearings. 

"I'm OK," she proclaimed, leaning a bit into Harry's shoulders. "Damn idiot. Well, thankfully, I have got self defense training under my belt." 

"Good for you." Sienna looked at Harry, his round blue orbs staring at her intently as she straightened up and adjusted her pageboy hat. Thinking of a way to say thank you, Sienna deemed most of her ways dumb until she remembered a way to express her gratitude where words weren't needed. She looked away, seeing the masquerade party inside, getting Harry to look away as well. When he looked back, Sienna kissed him on the lips. Surprised, Harry let her continue, closing his eyes and enjoying the moment. 

When she broke the kiss, Sienna looked at Harry with a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry, I suppose that was a little forward of me." 

"I don't mind." he said, clearing his throat. 

"Would you like to dance?" 

****

Sarah elbowed the two Doctors as they stood over the buffet table. All three looked to see Sienna and Harry enter the room through the sliding glass doors, stride to the middle of the room, then begin to dance together. She caught Benton looking at them, made eye contact with him, then grinned broadly. 

"Well well well..." the older Doctor trailed off.

"I'm happy for them both." the younger Doctor moved to sit at a table. 

Sienna and Harry danced for a few more songs, then broke off to go and talk to other people. Harry mingled with the officers, Sienna flirted aimlessly with the other cadets who were eyeing her. Word had spread about what Markham had done to her and she quickly became known as the girl who had nailed Markham in his brain. She sat down on one of the stone steps outside the sliding door and enjoyed the boys drooling over her. 

"That Markham," one grinned lopsidedly at her. "Always told him he'd be gettin' it all right, where it counts da most." 

"Let that be a lesson to all of you," Sienna warned. "You push a lady too far and she will retaliate." 

"None of us had the bad luck with ladies that Markham had." the group of cadets dissolved in laughter, Sienna did as well, remembering the look on Markham's face when he tried to rape her, when she kicked him where it counts.. 

When the masquerade party ended, the costumes were returned to the TARDIS. As they were walking across the small courtyard to spend another night in the bunkroom, a bright flash of orange and green lit up the sky, then disappeared. The Doctors took off immediately, dashing away to where the light was sighted. Harry trailed them, followed by Sarah, then Sienna. The latter had a mild limp that would disappear the next day, she'd managed to stay off the foot most of the party by sitting down. 

"Come on!" the older Doctor shouted, scarf flying behind him as he held onto his hat, still running. Sienna half ran, half limped. Harry's flashlight bounced away, rapidly fading as the shooting pain in her ankle became too much and she stopped moving. 

"Doctors!" she called out, flinching as a burst of lightning lit up the sky, followed by a roll of thunder. 

Sarah caught up to them, seeing a smoking crater in the ground. Both Doctors had their sonic screwdrivers out, analyzing the area. Harry stood still, aiming the flashlight so they could take the readings accurately. A six foot long and wide spacecraft lay there, still smoking from the landing. Even in the dark, the scorch marks burned into the soil were obvious. 

"This looks like your stereotypical UFO," Harry spoke. "A six foot wide and long round craft, crashing here at the dead of night." 

"We'd better get the Brigadier out here so he can bring transportation so we will be able to remove this and study it." the older Doctor looked up as the younger one pulled out his phone and dialed. Sarah looked at the craft and jumped as lightning struck and thunder crashed. 

"Doctor!" she spoke so suddenly they all jumped. "Where is Sienna?" 

"What the? She should have been able to keep up with us!" the older Doctor's tone was irritated as the younger one looked up.

"Not exactly, Doctor. She was hurt, remember? The mild sprain?" Harry bristled. Sometimes he thought the Doctor's arrogance knew no bounds. It was bad enough when the Doctor started picking on him because he didn't know what the Doctor knew, but to pick on Sienna, who had been wounded, hell, he'd seen her wounded! Shutting off the flashlight, he allowed himself to think nasty thoughts about the Doctor and his arrogance. Sarah looked at him questioningly, but chose not to ask him what was on his mind. Chances were, she'd hear more than she wanted to. 

"I never much cared for the dark," Sienna muttered, continuing on in the direction she'd seen the others running to. " Too much......stuff hidden in the blackness, waiting to spring out at you." she walked, alternating with a limp, brushing aside tree branches, the leaves swiping at her face at random. 

Stumbling over a tree root, she tripped and fell, a cry of pain tearing from her as she clutched her injured ankle. Sienna lay on her back, briar thorns scraping at her bare arms, sharp rocks surrounded her. Taking out her cell phone and using the LCD screen to look around, she spied a pine branch, sticky with sap running. Using her Leatherman tool, she cut off the big branch, then fumbled in her pockets, looking for a lighter. Fortunately, she had a small matchbook in the pocket of her black track pants. Sienna struck one, lighting the sap into a torch. Taking a look around, her eyes widened in fear. 

Bodies. About six bodies were strewn around her, all bloody, claw marks were evident on all of them. She gasped and backed up as she heard the rumble of thunder again. Sienna scrambled backwards on her hands, wanting to get farther away from the bodies, when she bumped into something. 

Not wanting to turn, but knowing she had to, Sienna saw another corpse. This one had worms and maggots poking out of the dead face, the blood all dried up. 

Sienna screamed and pulled herself up out of the ditch, then leaned against a tree. Seeing a pair of headlights, she yelled and waved whoever it was down. The jeep stopped, a figure ran out to meet her, taking her shoulders in a firm grip. 

"Where were you?" her Doctor demanded. "We have been searching everywhere for you!" 

"I-I-I....Doctor...." 

"Well?" he prompted her, his tone softening some, seeing she was truly terrified. 

"I..." she was so terrified she was shaking head to toe, eyes round and scared. "B...bodies, Doctor. In there!" her voice broke on the last word, giving way to a hysterical sob. 

"What?!" he exclaimed. " Brigadier, will you and Harry-" 

"On our way, Doctor." the Brigadier and Harry jumped out of the jeep, leaving the Doctor and Sienna pinned in the headlights. Both Doctors gave Sienna a hand in entering the jeep and sitting her down. Sarah gave her a sympathetic look, taking a small blanket and wrapping it around her friend's shoulders. Sienna's Doctor wrapped her in a hug, but she pushed him away. 

"Sienna?" Sarah started, but was shushed by her Doctor. 

"She's in shock," he whispered to her. "It'll break a few hours or so from now. We best give them some alone time in that case." 

"All right." she softly agreed. 

The bodies were attended to, more men came out in a van, assembled the bodies, then took them to the morgue in the next town. Harry, the Brigadier, the older Doctor, and Sarah, went to bed as soon as they got back. The rain the thunderstorm had been threatening finally broke loose, pelting the building in torrents as more lightning flashed. The Doctor and Sienna went to bed as well, though he stayed up to monitor her. 

He was dozing in bed when he heard Sienna, tossing and turning in her bed. The Doctor sat up, watching intently. She had been quiet, not saying a word since they'd met in the woods. Sienna moved like a robot, but he knew she would break down soon. 

"No...no..." Sienna's expression turned to one of pain. "NO!" she cried out, startling awake as the Doctor put his hands on hers and gently began to coax her to try to be calm again. The same blank expression she wore earlier returned for a moment as her Doctor hugged her, rubbing her back. Sienna remembered what had happened to her earlier and began to break down in hysterical sobs. Not wanting to disturb the others sleeping, he picked up Sienna and took her to the sick bay. Putting her on a bed, flinching as more thunder crashed, he held her as she sobbed and cried. Burying her head in his shoulder, she clutched at him like her life depended upon it. He resumed his rubbing of her back and murmuring comforting words into her ear. 

Sienna had always been such a strong person, he thought to himself. She puts on such a strong front to protect herself from the world, basically. Ever since her parents attacked her, she's pulled herself more into that facade. 

It was survival, he understood it. With himself and his older self, the Doctors always put themselves into a situation, offering to help or just helping without being asked. With his help, the good guys won more often than not. He'd made a lot of friends, yet made enemies too. The Brigadier was polite and friendly, always take charge. Benton was like that, he was quiet and respectful, always following orders and never questioning them. Harry had the easy smile and a ready handshake, giving one the impression he was a likeable and friendly person. Sarah was like that as well, very strong and self assured. She said what was on her mind, asked questions, and often thought up solutions to problems when her Doctor was stuck. 

And now with Sienna, in her current state of mind, the Doctor realized it was a glimpse into her personality that he'd seen a few times, but not a lot. She would sometimes come to him if she was troubled, but most of the time, Sienna would work through it by herself. He guessed that she did not want to become dependent on him to help her through her emotional times, but he never badgered or forced her to share what was bothering her. 

Finally, she ran out of tears. Sienna accepted the acetominephen for her headache he knew she had, drank some water, and let him mop her face. The Doctor let her lie down on a bed, her brown eyes focused on him. He sat on the edge of the bed, drawing up a white cotton blanket over her lower half. 

"Tell me." his voice was gentle. The Doctor clasped her hand, giving her wordless support.

"I felt like that," she cleared her throat. "Once before in my life, Doctor. The first time my parents attacked me and left me for dead, I felt like a living corpse." 

"Oh," he leaned in a bit to hear her better. "So other than the shock of seeing the bodies, you remembered your past....torment and pain and went into shock about that as well. Is that what you were dreaming about?" 

"Yes," she whispered. "So many bad memories, Doctor." 

" t's all over now," he removed a few stray hairs from her eyes. "Just go to sleep. You'll be safe." 

A hint of a smile passed her lips as her eyes closed. "Thank god for you, Doctor." she squeezed his hand and fell asleep.

****

When the others got up the following morning, they found Sienna in her bed, along with the Doctor. He had pushed his bed aside hers, gripping her right hand, even in his sleep. Sarah smiled fondly at the scene, as did her Doctor. Harry put on his white coat, the Brigadier was already up and about. 

"Look at that," Sarah said in a low voice. "A real bond of trust between them." 

"And more," the older Doctor put on his scarf. "Let them sleep in, Sarah. They've had a rough night." 

"Yes, Doctor." she smiled as she got up and followed them to the mess hall.

The Brigadier visited the sickbay after breakfast, delivering papers to Harry. "Here you are, Dr. Sullivan." 

"These are..." he picked up one of the red files and flipped through it. Sarah and her Doctor were out at the UFO site, collecting data to analyze. Sienna and her Doctor had gone with them. 

"Six complete autopsy reports on those bodies Miss Blackman stumbled upon last night." the Brigadier left. Harry sat down, brow furrowed in concentration as he flipped the pages, reading each report thoroughly. 

"This just isn't right." he muttered to himself. 

When the Doctors and their companions had come back, Harry was standing at attention, the report files in his hand. The Brigadier shut them all in a meeting, to discuss what was going on.

"At this point in time, I believe we may know what is plaguing the countryside here," the older Doctor spoke first. "Six men were reported missing last week and their bodies turn up dead in a ditch. We already sighted one spacecraft crater, reeking of black and flash powder, something had come here and taken off again. This time, the craft was indeed gone by daybreak. The alien left some residue behind, which we have already taken to the TARDIS to analyze." 

"What is this alien species, Doctor?" the Brigadier questioned.

"We believe it is the Gorluks, Brigadier." 

"The what?" 

"Simple, Harry," everyone did not miss the patronizing tone in the older Doctor's voice. "These creatures are nocturnal, thus only coming out at night. They look like eagles or hawks, only they're much bigger than either bird. The Gorluks must have come here because they're natural food sources on the planet Thok must have run out." 

"What do they feed on?" Sarah shot him a look, which he ignored. 

"They are carnivorous birds, Sarah. They compete with many other flesh eaters. Perhaps we can remedy this situation with them. Based on only six men dead, there are about two Gorluks here." 

"Yes, so we must get cracking to head this off before it becomes a full scale invasion." the younger one piped up. 

"What can you conclude on the autopsy reports, Harry?" 

"Well, Sarah, the coroner proclaims they were all dead because of some large animal eating them and after hearing this, it makes sense." he shuffled the papers together and stood up with everyone, exiting the conference room.

"Tonight. We must go where the last UFO was, then observe the birds and where they go. When they come back, we can confront them." the younger Doctor declared, closing the door behind them.

"Count us in." Sarah and Sienna both grinned. Her Doctor chucked her under the chin and grinned as well.

"Glad to see you smilin' again, Sienna." he left.

"So what do we do until nighttime?" they departed the building and began to stroll around on the green lawn. It was a cloudy day, patches of thin fog enveloped the front and back lawn. Sarah and Sienna thrust their hands in their pockets and studied their Doctors intently, as Benton and the Brigadier, with Harry, eyed them as well. 

"Rest up," the younger Doctor announced with a grin. "It may be a long night ahead of us, girls, be sure you have the energy." 

"Miss Blackman," the Brigadier interjected. "I would like to take you down to our firing range and see how you are with your weapons." 

"I'll stick with Harry, so we can chat as friends." Sarah grinned at Harry, who mirrored it. 

"We shall get back to the TARDIS and search the information banks to see what the old girl has in store for us about the Gorluks." 

"Sienna, when you're done, I'd like to hypnotize you and help you with your....unpleasant memory." the older one studied her for a moment, looking for her response. She looked at her Doctor, who gave her a slight nod. 

"If you think you can help, yes. Why not my Doctor? No offense." she added hastily. 

He unleashed his famous grin. "Your Doctor doesn't really do hypnotizing anymore, as he has told me. I'm a tad more adept at it than him." 

"Then, I wish you luck. I've been told that I'm hard to hypnotize sometimes." she went off with the Brigadier to the indoor firing range. Harry and Sarah left to the sickbay, both Doctors went to the TARDIS as Benton began his rounds. 

"So tell me more about when you two first met Sienna and her Doctor." Harry settled down into a chair at his desk, putting his feet up as Sarah sat on the edge of the desk near him. 

"You've pretty much heard it all, Harry. Sienna was forced by her Doctor to transmat to the adjacent planet where we were and enlist us to help her. She was wearing a stolen leather jacket and when she removed it, we saw all the cuts and scrapes she had sustained over her journey. The Daleks meant to put her Doctor on trial, but then changed their minds and tested a Dalek engineered virus on him." 

"A virus!" Harry exclaimed. " Just when I think I've heard it all..." 

"I know. Anyway, she mended pretty well after that escapade. Their TARDIS was sent into deep space with a randomizer, so they can't use their own. We don't know when or if the TARDIS will ever appear." 

"But you like having another female on board to deal with your Doctor, eh?" Harry teased. "I must say, with her attitude and all that, I don't know how your Doctor has managed." 

Sarah agreed. "Sienna is very strong willed and firm, like him. They have clashed a few times, but after talking to her Doctor, my Doctor...well, seemed to have a better way to agree or disagree with her. I also think she's lightened up a bit towards him. They get along much better now than when they first met." 

"What was it like?" 

"She chewed him out for interrupting her and I think that grated on his nerves for a bit. He was taken aback and didn't know how to act around her." 

"I'd have loved to see that, her chewing him out," Harry sniggered. " Have to say, sometimes the Doctor needs his rear chewed out." 

"Harry!" Sarah caught herself. "Well, there's some truth to that. I will say this, his face had an expression I'd never seen before, up until that." 

Harry laughed, joining his fingers together, arms over his legs. Sarah, clad in a white button up peasant blouse and blue khaki trousers, inspected her nails, then gave Harry a smile. 

"Very good, Miss Blackman." the Brigadier watched as she pressed a button on her magnum and the spent cartridge slid out. She shoved another one up the butt of the gun, pulled back the chamber and watched it slide forward with a click. A cardboard silhouetted bad guy was propped up against the wall, fifty yards away. Sienna took aim, leveling the gun and squeezing off another few rounds. The Brigadier unlocked the gun cabinet and selected an M16 for himself. He put on the safety goggles, loaded the weapon, then fired off a round of bullets. 

Sienna removed her goggles, checked the laminated sheet for the keycode, pressed it into the keypad, then the cardboard silhouette came up. The black cable squeaked a bit as it stopped a foot away from her, churning to a halt. She examined her bullet holes and found they were satisfactory, mostly clustered around the heart. The Brigadier looked also, giving her a small smile in approval. Sienna holstered her weapons, making sure she had an extra bullet clip for each one. Together, Sienna and the Brigadier looked over the gun collection, then went back into the sick bay. 

"Well then, Brigadier," Sienna started. "Did you show me everything you wanted to? I can say for sure that we won't be sticking around here after the job is done." 

"I believe so, Miss Blackman. You will be coming back in the future, yes?" 

"I don't know, sir. I suppose it is possible. When Sarah and I are with the Doctors, we never know if we're coming or going, so to speak." Sienna brushed away some dust from her blue and white argyle thin sweater. The Brigadier caught sight of her earrings, bright silver colored, clusters of stars. 

"Your earrings, Miss Blackman. Very...cosmic." 

"Thank you, Brigadier." they strolled through the corridor and came to the sick bay door. Sienna's blue corduroy pants made a little sound, like someone zipping up a zipper, as she walked. Her sneakers made no noise whatsoever as she opened up the door and walked in. Sarah and Harry stopped talking and looked up at her from where they were sitting. 

Before she could say a word, the older Doctor came in, scarf trailing behind him. He hung up his hat and turned to Sienna. 

"I would like to hypnotize you now, Sienna." 

"You were serious about screwing with my head?"

"Completely." his blue eyes dared her to contradict him like she normally would. Sienna sighed and flopped down on a vacant bed.

"Fine. Can't make me more screwed up than I already am." 

****

"Sienna," he sat on the edge of the bed, facing her. She sat up to meet his eyes. "Your Doctor asked me about this. It's an obvious repressed memory in your mind, and it doesn't have to be that way." 

"How?" 

"Hypnotic suggestion. I can plant a hypnotic suggestion in your mind whenever the memory breaks through that will help you cope with it." 

"Wouldn't I be able to do something like that myself?" 

"Some are, some aren't. Your Doctor is putting together a plan for tonight about the Gorluks." 

"There's something more to all this, isn't there?" Sienna asked. "Do you think this is a liability when we set on a new adventure?" 

"No adventure is the same and it's unlikely you will find yourself in the same situation," he replied. "But we heard you scream last night and none of us want to hear it ever again. We want to help you." 

"All right. I can't be hypnotized easily, though, Doctor." 

"You haven't been hypnotized by a Time Lord. At least not like this." he smiled. Sarah and Harry sat on the next vacant bed, folding their legs up under them and watching. 

"I relent. What do I do?" 

"Lie down," he directed. "Just follow my voice and do as I say. Within a few minutes, your alertness will be reduced and I will have access to the subconscious part of your mind." 

"OK. I'm ready, Doctor." she lay down and watched him idly as he began to speak to her, using the same tone of voice he'd used to hypnotize Sarah in the past. 

I'm just glad it's not me this time." she nudged Harry, who smirked.

"Shhh!" her Doctor admonished.

"Look directly into my eyes and keep looking," he directed. "Your eyelids are getting heavy, you will respond only to the sound of my voice. You're getting sleepy now, you will close your eyes." Sienna did so, after staring unblinking into the Doctor's eyes. He reached up and adjusted his scarf as Sienna lay there motionless. Sarah and Harry were the captive audience, looking on. 

"Sienna, can you hear me?" 

"Yes, Doctor." her voice was drowsy. 

"Good. I want you to think back into last year. When your parents first attacked you," he pressed on. "Search back in those memories and tell me what happened to you after they left you." 

"I blacked out and they left, thinking I was dead," her fingers twitched a little. "It's so cold, I'm so cold." 

"What are you thinking?" 

"I'm bleeding, I'm cold, I just want to die." 

"Why would that be?" 

"They just attacked me and got away with it. My mind tells me I'm useless, that I'll only be good enough for them to come back and attack me. I wish that....." Sienna's fingers moved a little more noticeably. 

"What, Sienna?" 

"I would just die and get it over with. I have no friends, no real family to speak of. Hell, I don't even have a job! People are walking by the alley and not even looking in my direction!" she lost the drowsy tone and began to talk urgently, like she was afraid she wouldn't be able to say it all.

"Go on, Sienna." 

"What is there for me if I do go on? All I can see is a great big empty void. God, I'm a living corpse!" 

"Whenever you think that, I want you to remember that you are not. Repeat this: you have friends who love you." 

Sarah and Harry looked on, Sarah was a little misty eyed. She had never thought of the Doctor loving her in the friendship way, or at all. She thought he just liked her. The Doctors did have affection for the both of them, they were very protective of their companions, even Harry, who often got on the Doctor's nerves. 

Sienna's brow furrowed, then smoothed out in a look of despair. "I can't. There is no one here who will miss me if I do die." 

"Yes you can," he gripped her hand tightly, gratified to feel her gripping it right back. Her purple glittery nails were cut short so they didn't dig into his skin. "Just think to yourself you have friends who love you." 

"I...." 

"Repeat it, Sienna." his voice took on a warning tone that Sarah and Harry both knew. 

"I have friends who....love me." 

"Very good. Now, this memory may come back to you. All I want you to do is repeat what I told you and you'll be all right." 

Sienna did not reply to him. Her grip loosened on his hand until he slid it away, looking at her questioningly. Glancing up at Harry, who understood his look, began to explain. 

"She said she was bleeding, yes? Well, she must have reached the point in the memory where she passed out and can't remember." 

"No matter. I will bring her out of this," he touched her temples with his fingers and looked down at her closed eyelids. "You are free, Sienna. You are waking up now, you feel relaxed and refreshed." 

"That is amazing, Doctor." Harry complimented him.

"Thank you." Sienna's eyelids began to flutter. 

"He's used it on me a couple of times, Harry. Remember the Zygons?"

"The brutes who shot me?"

"Yes. The Doctor and I were trapped in the decompression diver unit and the air was sucked out. He put me in a trance and himself, so we wouldn't suffocate." 

"There really is more to the mind than meets the eye," Harry remarked. " I shall have to get more research on this." 

"Mind-body connection, Harry," Sienna opened up her eyes and looked at him. "Some people's brains are more highly developed than others, thus why they can be mediums or psychics." 

"There's no evidence around to support that." 

"There is in my time, Harry. Where's my Doctor? I should get into my jacket, it's a little cold outside-" leaning on one side, she was pushed back down into the supine position by the Doctor. 

"Rest, Sienna," he told her firmly, a warning note told her not to argue. "That memory was nearly too much for you and you should rest a spell before we set off. Besides, Harry should examine your ankle so you're fit to come with us anyway." 

"I don't feel like arguing, Doctor, all right." she relented, closing her eyes again. 

"Smart girl," she heard him stand up and start for the door. " Just give her a quick once over, Harry. I know we'll all be needed tonight with those Gorluks." 

"What caused them to come to earth, Doctor?" Sarah asked. Sienna felt Harry sit down and examine her ankle. 

"Like I theorized, Sarah. Their food supply is running low and they are forced to travel to other planets in search of chow. Remember that planet we visited that the Sontarans had conquered?" 

"You redirect them there?" 

"Yes. We shall transplant them onto that planet, which should be teeming with wildlife about now. That planet would be perfect for a new generation of Gorluks to colonize and populate." 

"Doctor, would you be wanting me there?" Harry interrupted.

"Yes, Harry." 

"Really?" 

"We don't know exactly what we're up against here. We will need all the reinforcement we can get, which means you and the girls." 

"Talking of which, she'll be fine to tag along." Harry got up. 

"Sienna-sound asleep, out like a light." Sienna heard him sit down at his desk as the Doctor strode out of the room.

****

"Rise and shine, old girl." Harry walked to where Sienna was sleeping four hours later. He bent down and shook her shoulder gently, causing her to stir, then blink open her eyes. Sienna sat up, blinking the sleep from her mind, then looked up at Harry.

His wide grin and friendly blue eyes looked into her brown ones. "Time to get ready, it's dusk right now. Come on." he guided her up with one hand, then both marched into the conference room. The Brigadier, Benton, both Doctors, and Sarah were there, getting ready. The older Doctor wielded a two way radio, which he tucked into his coat pocket. The younger Doctor did likewise, then checked his pockets for the sonic screwdriver. Sarah had a black plastic flashlight, and a Swiss army knife in case she needed it. 

"Now, you'll be within range of these two way radios in case we need you," the younger Doctor spoke. "The Gorluks are very aggressive creatures and they will attack at any provocation. Harry, stay with the girls while we try to get a closer look, all right?"

"All right, Doctor." Harry was wearing camouflage gear, Sarah wore black pants and a camouflage top. Sienna hadn't bothered to change her outfit, it would be dark and her pants were black anyway. The Doctors exchanged glances, then led the way out of the conference room.

"Into the fray." Sarah said as Benton shut the door. 

Ten minutes later, the five reached to where they had found the most recent crash site. The five clustered together into the foliage surrounding it and waited. Each girl with her Doctor, Harry inbetween them. 

"What time is it, Doctor?" Sarah asked. He looked down at her with an impatient stare, then looked over to his younger self. He pulled out his cell phone and checked the LCD screen, then sign languaged the digits over to him. 

Harry huddled down against the tree and huffed a little to himself. When he was a child, Harry had dreamed of going on adventures such as this one. He was tired of everyday life very quickly, and gotten the neighborhood kids to play intergalactic fighting games he'd make up. They had loved it at first, then grew tiresome of the same plot every time. Harry and his older brother Robert joined forces and soon, the entire school playground was playing Frogs and Warriors, or whatever they dreamed up. Every week it was different and Harry flourished playing in it. He was often impatient to get class over with and get to recess where they could let their imaginations go. 

As he'd gotten older, Harry realized his dream of becoming a surgeon and achieved it. Even though there were the occasional emergencies, he found himself bored with routine as well. So, he'd joined UNIT in hopes of adventure. The Doctor and Sarah went into UNIT and offered Harry a chance to have an adventure. Or rather, Harry had insulted the TARDIS and the Doctor invited him to have a look inside and dematerialized. Six adventures later, he decided to stay behind in UNIT and do work on earth, as opposed to intergalactic adventures. 

Then, things had gotten a little drab and boring. He'd jumped at the chance to have another adventure, not only with the Doctor and Sarah, but with another Doctor and another companion! He shifted against the tree, already stiff. 

"How long has it been?" Sienna asked in a hushed whisper. 

"Half an hour." her Doctor answered her, glancing over at the crater. 

"You'd think they'd show up by now." Sarah huffed, her breath condensing in the cool air. Her Doctor did not reply, he was staring at the sky intently. After a moment, he pointed up at a star which was moving. The group watched it as it got bigger and bigger, then hit the ground with a deafening rumble. 

"Get down!" the Doctors ordered, pushing the girls and Harry down into a crouch. 

A silvery metallic object, round, rumbled in front of their eyes. The craft hissed, then opened as two tall creatures with long arms came out. In the half light of the full moon, they could all see the clawlike feet, the feathered bodies, and the long wings. The head was humanoid, but jagged near the neck, like two rows of Vs. One creature hissed, then stretched the wings an astounding wingspan. The Doctors noted that the wings were not feathered at all, but dotted in a scaly fashion. The eyes glinted a bright violet.

"Gorluks," Harry whispered. "Blimey." 

"Shh!" the older Doctor hissed. One Gorluk arched it's head at the sound, then shrugged it off, following the other. 

Without another sound, the group tailed the creatures to the far side of the valley, stopping at a large cave. A giant boulder sat at the entranceway, one Gorluk dug it's claws into it and shoved it aside. They entered, vanishing from site. 

"Well," the older Doctor adjusted his hat, a bit nervous. "We've come this far, haven't we?" 

The group went into the cave stealthily, watching where they stepped. The cave was vast, limestone and granite forming most of it, with little cracks now and then, accenting the natural beauty of the stone. Sienna trailed her hand out and touched the cool stone as she walked, inwardly admiring. 

"They just seemed to...disappear." the younger Doctor remarked carelessly, glancing upwards. 

"That, or there's more to this cave than meets the eye." the older one answered, eyeing a crystalline substance that had been smeared everywhere. He struck a match, then held it up to the substance. It ignited with a whoosh and the whole cavern was alight in a greenish tint. 

"My Lord..." Harry trailed off, seeing what looked like cryogenic pods lining the walls. Sarah took a closer look and saw the bird creatures, but half the size. Sienna saw the red and pinkish walls of that particular cavern section and heard a steady rhythm. 

"Doctors, does this seem unusual to you?" 

He looked up from where he was examining a control console in the corner of the room. " In what way?" 

"Well, the room's alive." indeed, the blood red and pinkish colors were veins and arteries loping through the room. The faint rhythm was a heartbeat, the veins glowed bright red as the nutrients in the bloodstreams were delivered to the pod occupants. 

"Amazing, a real feat." Harry inspected the console as well, seeing the blood pumped out into tubes that ran into the walls. The older Doctor knelt on the floor and used his sonic screwdriver to pry open the bottom panel. Everyone clustered around to see what he would find, as he pocketed his treasured tool and shined a light into the interior. Sienna and Sarah gasped, the Doctors simply looked a little amazed. Harry blinked rapidly, trying to be sure that he was seeing what his eyes were telling him. 

A big cylinder, looking a little like a human heart, was pumping steadily. 

"Purely organic in nature." 

"Doctor, is that-"

"Yes, Sarah, that's a Gorluk's heart." he closed the panel, a look of disgust on his face.

"Ew." she remarked as he stood up. 

"Come now, Sarah, the extent of one race's stuggle to survive never fails to amaze me," he adjusted his hat and looked up. " Now to find out what's in this primitive database and see what kind of weaknesses we can find." 

"Nope, we're going to put them on that Sontaran annihilated planet and give them a chance to start over. First thing we must do is to get this ship out of the cave and get it to fly." the younger Doctor chimed in, ignoring the stare of his fourth self. 

"This is a ship?" Sienna looked around. Her Doctor grinned at her and gave a nod as he produced a notepad from his pockets and revealed the barren planet's coordinates. 

"Could have fooled me." Harry turned away from the console and watched the cryogenic pods, 30 on both sides of the room, pulsate, delivering what the species needed to survive. 

"We already did, Harry." the older Doctor looked towards the door, which slid open with a neat hiss. 

****

"What are you doing here?!" a Gorluk demanded, eyes glowing with rage. It flew over and staying in midair, picked up Sarah in it's claws. 

"Help me, Doctor!" she screamed, trying to fight back, but getting nowhere. The Gorluk flew twenty feet overhead, dangling her carelessly, as though she might fall at any moment. Sienna took out one gun and aimed, but her Doctor dissuaded her with a glance. Harry stood close to Sienna, ready to defend her, if necessary. 

The second winged creature advanced on them, glaring them down. 

"We are the Doctors!" the younger one tried. " We want to help you, we know your race is in danger!" 

"Danger!" it huffed. " Our species was wiped out by the Sycorax race!" 

"The Sycorax! Well, they always were keen to conquer. But, we can help you!" 

"How?!" 

"There is a planet, full of vegetation and wildlife, but no aliens or humans! It was conquered by the Sontarans and left!" 

"Where is this planet?" 

"I've the coordinates written down on here!" 

"Vbaok!" the second Gorluk paused. "Release the alien!" 

Sarah was returned to the Doctor, whom she clung to for a few moments, then he gently pushed her aside. 

"I am not an alien!" she huffed. "I'm a human being!" 

"You are aliens to us." 

"No point in arguing, Sarah." her Doctor told her. Sienna stepped forward hesitantly.

"What do you feast on?" 

"Anything alive!" 

"Can you eat vegetation?"

"We can." 

"OK, good. So, how's about us helping you?" 

"There is a problem." 

"Oh, dear. What is it?" Harry spoke up. The Gorluk stared at him for a moment. 

"The Sycorax sent our ship to collide here. The little crafts we have tried to use to escape the atmosphere always come crashing down. The Sycorax also corrupted our navigational systems, linked to this system called a lock combination." the creature pressed a button and out popped a bigger console from a section of the wall unoccupied by pods. The Doctors went to it, eyeing it and checking the systems. 

"I'll be!" the younger Doctor chimed. " The Sycorax know of Time Lord mind bending!" he pressed a few keys and two compartments opened up, complete with headgear, and two slabs that extended out for them to lie down on. 

"This is advanced. The Sycorax programmed this with Time Lord technology. Look," images appeared on a small monitor. " All we have to do is solve these numeric sequences and the ship will come back to life, so to speak." 

"In the meantime, how long will it take you, and what do we do in the meantime?" Sarah chirped, watching as they lay down on the slabs. 

"Just you three stay here. I have no idea how long it will take us. The Sycorax were clever, programming this for two Time Lords to break the code. We rarely travel in pairs. Most conventient for us, I must say." they snugged on the headgear and pressed the switch. 

"We'll go into a trance and solve the problems. Do not try to wake us up or help us." was their direction as they sank into their trances. Harry waved a hand over the younger Doctor's face and looked up at the girls. 

"Very deeply into it." was all he said as he got up and began to walk around. The Gorluks adjusted the controls for the future generations of their species and ignored the humans. Sienna and Sarah both admired the beauty of the scaly wings, shining like multicolor gemstones on their backs. Sarah sat down against a wall while Sienna stretched out on the floor, looking up and trying to see the ceiling of the ship. The rhythm of the heartbeat was comforting to her and she was falling asleep, not noticing Harry beside her. 

"You humans," the Gorluk leader said suddenly. "We would like to gain a bioscan and study your race. All three of you will be necessary." 

"In the name of science, I wouldn't say no." Sienna started to get up, but Harry stopped her. 

"Are you just going to study us, not plan to invade us later on? In any case, I would have to say no." 

The leader curled his lower lip in thought. "We plan to stay on that planet and never return to this galaxy. We can live in peace and solitude for the rest of our lives. The earth will not come to harm." flipping a switch, a platform rose up near the console. 

"All right." Harry went first, lying down as the leader pressed a button. He recoiled from the sound at first, then relaxed as he found no pain from the scan at all. Sarah went after him, then Sienna. 

"Interesting. Carbon based life form, one heart, strong cardiovascular system. This human's immune system is weakened somewhat." Sienna's eyes darted around nervously, wary of alluding to her chronic disease just then. She wanted to keep that part of her life secret, until necessary to tell. Harry's eyes she felt on her, as Sarah's were, she turned her head away from them. 

"So I'm not the best specimen," she tried to joke. "It's OK." 

The scan done, she hopped off the platform and watched as an image of her circulatory system appeared on one monitor. Sienna eyed it, then looked over to the Doctors, still entranced. 

"That reminds me, we should call the Brigadier and tell him there's no worry." Harry fumbled in the older Doctor's pocket, pulled out the radio and alerted the Brigadier of what was going on. 

"I'm happy that this doesn't involve fighting this time. A simple relocation." Harry pocketed the radio and looked at the girls. 

"It is nice not to fight with another species this time," Sarah admitted. "Those last ones we encountered were quite nasty." 

"Yes," Sienna agreed. "Last thing we wanted was our Doctors possessed. Lucky we caught that when we did." 

"Well," a voice interrupted them. " That's done, the full navigational systems should be fully functional." the Doctors, sitting up and looking disoriented, spoke to them. The leader Gorluk squawked in delight, then went to the console to try to plug in the coordinates. 

"Doctor, shouldn't we get in the TARDIS? I mean, we'll be stuck on that planet without it." Harry inquired. 

"For once, you're right, Harry," the Doctor beamed his toothy grin. "Sienna and her Doctor will stay on board, the rest of us will get to the TARDIS and materialize it here." they departed at once, leaving the two behind. The Gorluks left the room. 

"One adventure after another, Doctor," Sienna grinned. "I wouldn't have it any less." 

"Nor I, especially when I have you." 

"Thanks. What were your other incarnations like?" 

"Which?" he leaned against the wall.

"Um, five and six?" 

"Well, that's a bit of a story now, isn't it? You already know my eighth self...let me see..." 

****

"Come on, Doctor." Sienna prodded.

"Right. Well, my fifth self was quite the gentleman. He dressed in cricketer gear and had some companions with him. He died of spectrox toxemia. My sixth self was rude, arrogant, a complete idiot often. He snapped at my then companion Peri, was completely self absorbed and often felt sorry for himself. Peri knew my previous self and it was a shock to her that I could change so abruptly." 

"God forbid, think we'll meet up with them?" 

"Never say never, Sienna. We might. Someday, you and I might meet up with more of my past selves." 

Just then, the churning TARDIS appeared and out popped Sarah and the Doctor, along with Harry. The ship lifted off and soared into the sky. 

"So, here we go," Sienna remarked as the ship bucked. She dug her hands into the sides of the walls she was leaning against and hung on. Sarah tumbled, lost her footing, then ended up crashing into Harry. He chuckled and stood her upright, showing her a bar to latch her hands on to. 

"So, the coordinates are all set for the leader there?" he asked, looking at the older Doctor.

He was rewarded with a toothy grin and flipping his scarf over his shoulder. "Yes, Harry. We'll get them started on their way, then we can be on ours." Harry accepted that, sitting back beside Sienna. She fumbled in her pocket, pulled out a small tube as long as her first finger, then pulled out a tiny pocket mirror. She flipped it open, then applied lipcolor to her lips, making a face, checking to see she got every speck of the natural color of her lips.

"What is that stuff?" Sienna's lips took on a shiny texture.

"Lipgloss, Sarah," she handed it to her friend. "Keeps my lips hydrated and looking pretty. I don't do lipstick often because I think my lips are too big and coloring them only makes 'em bigger." 

"Interesting." Sarah admired Sienna's lips for a moment, then looked up as her Doctor began to speak into the intercom system.

"How long will it take to get us there?"

"A month." the leader's voice squawked.

"That'll never do!" both Doctors exclaimed. "Let us have a look and we can speed it up for you." 

After some insisting from the Doctors, the leader reluctantly agreed to have the ship upgraded so the journey could be made faster. Sienna and Sarah played assistants as they buried themselves in microchips, circuit boards, etc. Sitting on the floor near their Doctors, they held this, sorted that, aimed the sonic screwdrivers and used them as they were directed to. Harry sat in a chair, looking out into space, occasionally looking at the girls on the floor.

"I've got it!" the younger Doctor popped his head out from underneath the instrument panel, face slightly dusty, but he had a big grin on his face. He stood up, leaned over, then pressed a few keys. The ship shuddered to a standstill, then started up again, much faster than before. The older Doctor knelt down, pulling out a shelf cover, then pulled out a small rack. Sarah looked in awe as a row of crystals, the size and shape of CDs, was displayed before her. He took out the green, pink, red, and yellow, then switched them around. After a moment, he eyed the adjustments he made, nodded in approval, then put the rack back, screwing the shelf back into place. He stood up, eyeballing the round glowing crystal.

The crystal was dull pink colored, as big as a bowling ball, had a texture of what looked like cracks on the surface of it. 

"What is this?"

The leader turned. "That we use to align the space turbines that power this ship. When in correct alignment, it glows purple. When not in correct alignment, it turns green." 

"Very nice," he allowed, eyeing it still. "You can try your hyperdrive now." 

The leader Gorluk threw a few switches, then flipped up a large toggle switch at the console. With a series of odd sounding beeps and boops, the turbines chugged once, stopped, then went into hyperdrive so fast, everyone fell to the back side of the cockpit. Sienna muttered a few choice cuss words as she got herself untangled from the group. In no time at all, the planet loomed up close to the viewscreen of the ship. Everyone was spellbound as the planet came into view, looking renewed since the last time they saw it. 

"Wow, Doctor," Sarah spoke. "When we arrived last time, it was all black and desolate. The remains of civilization." 

"Really, in no time at all, the place regenerated itself. Impressive." he muttered in agreement.

"What was this planet named?" the younger Doctor looked at his companion. 

"I don't remember. Anyways, they now are on it, so they can name it whatever they want." she told him. The leader seemed to be deep in thought, then he looked at Sienna with a bird grin.

"Peregrine six." 

"Peregrine?"

"Our earth ancestor, the Peregrine falcon." 

"Marvelous." 

"Well," the younger Doctor cut in. "You land here and start your colony. We'll stop by and visit sometime. In the meantime, we have to get back to UNIT." 

With no protest, they filed into the TARDIS, wishing the leader and Vbaok luck in restarting the Gorluk race. They clustered around the console as one input coordinates, and the other activated the time rotor column. Harry watched on the videoscreen the interior of the ship until they dematerialized completely. Sienna and Sarah stood by, watching their Doctors work on the console.

"So what's it like in the future?" Harry asked suddenly, trying to dissolve the silence around them.

Sienna shrugged. "War, escalating gas prices, not much to really go on." 

"Sienna," her Doctor scolded her. "That's a very dismal outlook you have there. Harry, the music and entertainment industry is booming, the economy is making strides to improve, and medical careers seem to be the thing nowadays. Gone is the notion that nurses should be women and men to be doctors." 

"I'm glad to hear that," he gave her a grin. "You women appear to have the real mothering and maternal instincts that we men do not have. It comes naturally to you, but we have to learn it." 

"But not every female has that instinct," she disagreed. "Some women have to learn it like you do." 

"True." Harry refused to bait Sienna, like she was trying to do to him. He gave her a look that said he was on to her, which she understood completely. 

****

After they landed, Sienna and Sarah stumbled behind the Doctors, en route to UNIT. Both were sleepy, just barely able to keep up. Harry guided Sarah, Sienna walked between the Doctors as they walked back to the building. When they got there, Benton told them the Brigadier was asleep, but he would see them first thing in the morning to get the lowdown on what had happened. 

Stumbling off to bed, the girls were asleep instantly. Harry took a little bit to fall asleep, whereas the Doctors ruminated to help them sleep. 

In the morning, the Doctors got up around 8 AM, followed by Harry and Sarah. At nine, the Brigadier asked to see them all in the conference room in half an hour. The Doctors exchanged a look, wordlessly asking which would wake Sienna up to make the meeting. She was famous for biting people's heads off when they tried to get her up during the times she had deemed too early. 

"Why don't I do it?" Harry interjected, to everyone's surprise. He boldly strode off to the bunkroom, took a hold of Sienna's shoulders, then gently shook her, saying her name. She resisted at first, but when she realized it was Harry, she opened up her eyes without any of her usual antics. He smiled at her, she could not help smiling back at him. Harry pointed to her clothes she had laid out last night, told her to meet them in the conference room in half an hour, then left. He was met outside the room by three pairs of wide eyes. 

"She didn't bite your head off?"

Harry squared his shoulders, looking at the older Doctor firmly in the eye. He was intimidating in height, but Harry refused to be intimidated. " No." he responded audibly.

"Wow. She usually does." Sarah told him. 

"Maybe I'm the exception to the rule." he joked, walking away. 

Two hours later, the meeting was adjourned formally, the Brigadier was debriefed on all that had occurred the previous night. The Doctors told him everything, with help from the girls and Harry. 

"It is rare that we don't meet an alien menace who doesn't want to annihilate us on the spot." he remarked. 

"We were surprised too, Brigadier," the older Doctor gave him a warm smile. " Are we finished? It's a vast cosmos out there and many adventures await us." 

"Yes, of course, Doctors. It was a pleasure seeing you all again. And meeting you, Miss Blackman." he shook her hand formally as they walked out to where the TARDIS was. 

"And you, Brigadier." Sienna smiled. 

"Do stop in anytime." 

"We shall be sure to, Brigadier," they stepped into the TARDIS. " Goodbye, Harry." 

"Goodbye Sarah, Sienna, Doctors. A real pleasure." he waved as the TARDIS dematerialized.

The Brigadier and Harry turned and walked back to the building. " Now that the alien threat is gone, perhaps we can work on some earth matters." 

"Yes, sir." Harry said with a grin.

"Well, Doctors," Sienna yawned. "I'm gonna get my full 12 hours of sleep now. Just call me if you need me." she retired from the console room, striding down to her own bedroom. The TARDIS hummed contentedly as Sarah drifted into the library to read. The Doctors whipped out their sonic screwdrivers and began more endless repairs on their 'old girl'.


	18. Shada

Shada

4/10/Sarah/Sienna

"Sienna? Sarah?" the younger Doctor called, looking into the TARDIS library. "Where did those girls get to this time? Never where we want them when we want them!" he was irritated, but let a smirk cross his lips. His older self looked up at him from the console, his famous grin appeared. 

"A bit like us, are they? Gee, I wonder where they got it from!" he snapped up another switch as the time rotor columns chugged away steadily.

"You should talk," he remarked. "Well anyway, think they're on the top floor again? Getting another spa treatment after putting up with us?" 

"I'll set the life sensor. It'll pick up anything with a heartbeat." he flicked on the button, then looked at the TARDIS screen. 

"That's odd, how the devil could they be right here..." the younger Doctor didn't get a chance to finish.

"BOO!" 

"Augh!" he leaped up two feet in the air, turning around. Sarah and Sienna looked at him, holding their stomachs and laughing. They slumped against the doorframe, leaving both of the Doctors a bit red faced. Sienna wore a sky blue headband, black jeans, and a rainbow colored t-shirt. A big fan of sneakers, she had tied on her generic brand, white, with glitter around the sides. Her nails were devoid of polish, except clear. Sarah wore stonewashed denim overalls with a black and white striped long sleeve shirt. She had on black sneakers, and wore a silver colored pendant shaped like a ladybug. 

"What are you two up to now?" the older Doctor demanded, turning the knob for the TARDIS vidscreen to turn on. The white panel rolled up, showing nothing of interest yet. 

Sienna bit back more laughter as she replied, "We've been waiting a bit to do this to you both, Doctors. The look on your faces!" 

"That's right!" Sarah went to her Doctor as the TARDIS shuddered and settled down with a bump. "Where are we?" 

The vidscreen showed a sandy planet, with woods here and there, one body of water, but the majority of it was enclosed in what looked like bunkers. The sky had a grayish tinge to it, the clouds were light pink, as the five moons showed over it. The Doctors edged closer to the screen, pondering for a long moment. 

"Doctors, where are we?" Sarah repeated. They appeared not to hear her, but a moment later, her Doctor turned to her with a strange unreadable expression on his face.

My dear Sarah Jane, we're on Shada." 

"What's Shada? And why are you two so pale in the face?" she questioned further.

"Shada is the Time Lord prison planet," the younger Doctor informed her. "The transport prison ship, the Genesis Ark picks up the criminals and deposits them here. The Time Lords go over the cases with a trial, and liquidate offenders if necessary. The rest are condemned to stay here for eternity." 

"Time Lord justice system." Sienna nodded. 

Her Doctor took her aside as the other Doctor and Sarah looked at the screen. "The only difference is, Gallifrey doesn't exist anymore in my timestream. The Time Lords can't detect that I'm here with my fourth self. His Time Lords obviously know that I'm here with him without my TARDIS and chosen not to do anything. The prison planet Shada means we may run into a fellow Time Lord. Try to treat any other person we meet with respect. They don't have power over me, but they still do with him." 

"I understand, Doctor. Let me strap on my gunbelts for protection and we'll go out to explore." he nodded and let her go to it. Sarah was putting on her neon purple parka, the Doctor swung his scarf so that he wouldn't trip over it. 

"Well, shall we go out then?" the younger Doctor grinned as Sienna reappeared in her leather jacket and gunbelt, complete with the twin holsters, magnums, cell phone and Leatherman clipped to it.

"Sienna, you might want to rethink your gadgets here," the older Doctor told her. "We don't want to make it obvious that you are an earthling. This once, I advise you to leave your guns and gadgetry behind. OK?"

"Oh, all right," she groaned, slipping off the gunbelt and tossing it on the hat rack. "Better?"

"Very much so." her Doctor appraised. Sienna gave him a smile of encouragement as the doors opened and they stepped out.

"Have you guys been here before?" Sarah zipped up her coat and dug her hands into the pockets against the chilly breeze. Her Doctor hung onto his hat as he scanned the barren horizon. Sienna shivered, the bunker like buildings were to the right, a steep hill was to the left, covered with rocks. 

"No, Sarah," the younger one began to walk, they all fell in lockstep together. "We've only heard the legend, but nothing like this. The most dangerous criminals and such are here to rot and waste away, if they're not executed." 

"Then these bunker buildings are the prison structures then?" she put her hands to her temples to keep her hair under control. Sienna tapped her and handed her an elastic. Sarah thanked her and put her hair up in a ponytail. Sienna's locks were too short for her to put her hair up, but she always had a few spare elastics in her coat. The older Doctor trudged by her side, noticing the muddy ground. 

" That's right." he said shortly, speaking against the bitter windchill.

The buildings had a sandy adobe color to them, the windows were in small star shapes with bars across them. They turned up at the nearest door, noticing it was see through green. Each Doctor pulled out their sonic screwdrivers and aimed at each of the two locks, opening them carefully. A few moments later, the door popped open, they held it open and gestured to the girls. 

"Ladies first." they went in with a smile as the Doctors followed, closing the door behind them.

"Are there any other Time Lords around here, Doctor?" the older Doctor looked around, closed his eyes, putting himself in a trance for a moment. Sarah started to ask if he was okay, but was stopped by the younger Doctor.

"Don't, Sarah. We Time Lords can sense each other around here. That's all he's doing." 

" Oh." Sarah looked up at him. Sienna was studying the Gallifreyan architecture. To her, it seemed almost rustic, at least in the lobby. The entranceway had a carpet with three colors lengthwise, purple, yellow, and orange. The interior was in that color scheme as well, but on a white carpet. Sienna's eyes trailed to see a Time Lord in full ceremonial dress, all in white, in a painting on the wall. A high dome was in the foyer, stretching up about ten feet to bear a single large window, of which sunlight would shine through on a sunny day. Sienna looked over, seeing the couches in those three colors, a door opened up to a small library.

"This is it for the library?" she asked.

"Those are just the prison records, Sienna," the older one broke his trance. "Shada has been here since Rassilon, and the very ancient records are downstairs in the basment. There are no other Time Lords, so we have the place to ourselves." he walked into the vestibule and studied the curving white walls. 

"These stripes," he cut off Sarah. " Are the three chapters of Time Lords. We belong to the Pryodonians, the orange color." the younger one sat down on the orange couch and switched on an upright lamp. The lamp was white, with an odd jagged bulb, looking like a bright green flame. 

" Now it's official, girls. Welcome to Shada." the Doctors said in one breath. 

"Why thanks," Sarah giggled. "What are the colors and chapters of Time Lords anyway?" she knelt down and spread her fingers over the white shag rug lying in the lounge area. Sienna flopped onto the purple couch, sprawling spread eagled and gazing up at the vaulted ceiling where the great seal of Rassilon was hanging suspended by cables. 

"The Patrexes, the heliotrope color, aka purple, Arcalian, green, and ours, the Prydonian, which is a scarlet orange." the older Doctor stumbled a little over his scarf, then cast it over his shoulder with a muttered remark to himself. 

"And who's that?" the girls stared at the painting. 

"That's our Lord President, Osiraz," he answered. " A quite just ruler in many ways, generous and helping Gallifrey to thrive." 

"The Prydonian chapter is the most famous for churning out renegade Time Lords like us." the younger Doctor piped up, giving his companion a smile that seemed a little sad. Sienna guessed it, he was revisiting all the splendor that Gallifrey used to be before the last Time War with the Daleks. However much he disliked the stuffy ardor of his compatriot Time Lords, he was always happy to have a place to call his own. Sienna crossed over to him and gave him a friendly arm around the shoulders as he raised up his head to look at her. She gave him the same kind of smile back and he knew she understood him. 

"You belong to the Prydonian chapter, famous for Time Lord renegades?" she asked. 

"Yes." he nodded as Sienna gave him a big smile.

"Look at it this way, Pry-donians!" she chirped gleefully. "And your superiors wonder?!" 

The lounge area erupted in a hearty laugh as Sienna and her Doctor proceeded to wander around the place. The name Shada was embossed in gold on the interior doors, with silver colored glitter on them. 

****

Sarah and Sienna, after a little while, decided to get up and wander around themselves. They were cautioned by the Doctors not to go too far, to stay within earshot at least. Sarah giggled and slipped down into the next level, followed by Sienna. The girls observed the basement brick structure, lights like the ones upstairs were electrified, throwing green light eerily into the blackness. Disused jail cells lined the left side of the passageway, thick layers of dust permeated the atmosphere. Sienna sneezed, her eyes slowly watering up. 

"You okay?" Sarah inquired as Sienna fumbled in her pocket. 

"Yeah," she sniffled. "I'm a bit allergic to dust, though." finding what she was looking for, she took a few tablets and soon her sinuses began to clear up. Walking a little further, they found skeletons of all sorts of alien species. Sienna stuffed her tissue away, then started to clown around a bit. 

"Think they killed each other of boredom?" 

"They could have," Sarah giggled. "Maybe one killed the other and played on the bones like a xylophone for amusement." 

"Shada rhapsody number one," Sienna mimed striking a xylophone. "Oh, I'm down here and it's so damn cold, never leave this cell, even when I'm really really old!" she held the note, then stopped when another sneeze racked her body. 

"Sure you're all right?" Sienna waved her away.

"Yes, yes," she swiped at her nose with her tissue and straightened up. They both started walking back slowly. "It just takes at least fifteen minutes for the drug to start working, that's all." 

"Okay," Sarah hesitated, then paused in her tracks. "Listen!" 

After a moment, Sienna looked up. " What did you hear?" 

"Shh!" a faint sound, like metal scraping on the brick walls. "Hello? Can we help you?"

"I heard it," Sienna muttered. "Sarah, we should get the Doctors for this one. We don't know what it could be." 

Sarah bit her lip in thought, frozen for a moment. "All right, let's go." they went back up the stairs, emerged from the door, then went to see the Doctors, chatting and lounging around on the couches. 

"Ah, did you girls have a good walk?" the younger Doctor grinned as the girls sat down on the purple couch. "Sienna, something wrong?"

She waved him off like she did Sarah. "Mild allergy to dust and there's a lot of it down there. I should start feeling better in a few minutes." the redness under her eyes was already fading out, he observed. 

"There's a lot of old skeletons and disused jail cells down there, Doctor," Sarah mentioned. "And we heard a queer scraping sound." 

"Probably the wind coming in through the old windows," the older Doctor adjusted his hat. "A lot of them had to be replaced after the great uprising." 

"What great uprising?" 

"The criminal aliens, Sarah. A lot of them joined forces and tried to lead a breakout. Our Lord President decided that a new prison planet would be in order, one with supreme high tech facilities and no chance of upheaval. We actually joined forces with our ally alien species, primarily the Alzarians and the Trions. I don't know where the new prison planet is, it is a very highly kept secret. I don't know what the name even is." 

"Something like a combination," Sienna volunteered, her voice sounded clear again. "The Galzariaons." 

Rewarded with giggles all around, she beamed and thrust her tissue away. Sienna observed the seal of Rassilon hanging above them once more, marveling at the architecture of the Gallifreyans. 

"What do you say we all go down and inspect that noise you heard?" the younger Doctor stood up, stretching. The older one did so, tilting his hat back and nodding at the girls as they stood up and went for the doorway they had gone through previously. They all went down, supported by the bright green lights suspended on the walls. The Doctors walked side by side, leaving the girls behind them. Sarah and Sienna, rolling their eyes, trotted behind their Doctors. 

They passed by the empty cells, never casting a glance at the skeletons here and there. Sarah tried to imagine the run down old prison at it's height, the Time Lords in ceremonial robes dishing out the punishment, the guards in full uniform, monitoring the prisoners. The high council would be in the trial room, the prisoner called in, the trial carried out, then the Lord President would be called in on the most high offenses, then he would pronounce sentence on the offender. The guards would take the alien away, put them in a transmat chamber, then program it to take the prisoner to the relevant section of Shada. Once arrived, the offender would be escorted from the transmat into their cell. The prisoner would rot away for the rest of it's life, either living in denial, or in vehement anger. 

The silence was broken when Sienna uttered a huge sneeze and started coughing uncontrollably. The Doctors turned, sitting her down with her back against the brick wall, then examined her briefly. 

"I don't think those allergy medicines are doing you much good, Sienna," her Doctor told her. "Shada's rife with dust, so let's see if we can neutralize your reaction to it, eh?" 

"How?" she managed to ask. 

"Sonic screwdriver," the older Doctor declared. "Remember I did this to you before?" 

"That's right. My screwdriver doesn't do that anymore, I forgot about it when I remade it." the younger Doctor stood up, frowning at his tool and joining Sarah at the other side of the corridor. Sarah looked at him, then watched as her Doctor aimed the screwdriver at Sienna's lungs and waved it around, telling her to hold her breath for a moment. When he was done, he asked Sienna how she felt.

She exhaled slowly, then breathed more normally. "Better!" she exclaimed. The older Doctor gave her a hand up, then they began to walk down the corridor again. 

"What was it like, Doctor?" Sarah remembered her little fantasy. 

He turned and gave her a blank look. "What, Sarah?"

"This place, Shada! What was it like when it was operational? Before the uprising." 

"Oh, that!" the younger Doctor exclaimed, facing forwards again and tramping on. "I'll leave you to answer that question." he spoke to his former self. 

"Pretty much the way your justice system works on earth, Sarah," he replied. "The punishment was equal to the crime, shorter sentences for those who owned up and reformed themselves." 

"Did the Lord President preside over the most...vile cases?"

"Yes, he was known to make an appearance from time to time. Delightful chap, I met him once." 

"Shh, listen!" Sarah said suddenly. The tinny scratching noise began, not far from their ears. The Doctors, brows furrowed, wielded their sonic screwdrivers, beaming them into the darkness. Sienna paused, narrowing her eyes in expectation of what may come. 

An inhuman laugh echoed up to their ears and the Doctors glanced at each other in mutual puzzlement. The shadows quivered, then a long screech resounded, making the girls cry out and cover their ears. When the echoes stopped, the Doctors pushed onward, looking for the noisemaker. Sarah grabbed a hold of her Doctor's scarf, trailing behind him. Sienna had her Doctor by his hand, eyes darting everywhere to head off trouble before it could begin. 

For ten minutes, they walked together, unseeing any noisemaker or anything out of the ordinary. A slow rumbing emanated to their ears, and before they knew it, an iron cell door flew open and smacked the Doctors in the face. Stumbling about, the Doctors cursed in Gallifreyan, holding their faces in their hands. Sarah pried her Doctor's hands from his face and curiously looked him over for any marks. Relieved to find only a faint redness, she gripped his arm, steadying him. Sienna had come to the same conclusion, the four began to walk again. 

"What the devil could do that to us?" the younger Doctor spluttered, the ringing in his head was subsiding. 

"Have no idea." Sienna leaned back against the brick wall, giving herself a little break from walking. 

"Tired?" Sarah joined her, crossing her arms.

"I am. My dogs are howling, Doctor." 

"Dogs?"

"My feet." Sienna said with a grin. 

Unbeknowst to them, the section of brick hidden by the girls' legs was being pulled out. A slithery tendril issued from the space behind them, then wrapped itself around Sarah and Sienna's legs.

****

Sarah looked down, seeing a brown appendage wrapped around their legs. Sienna observed it too, but when it gave a vicious backwards tug, the girls screamed out in pain. Sienna gripped the appendage and began to cuss and swear at it, trying to hurt it enough to let them free. 

"Doctors!" Sarah screamed as the bricks behind them began to shake and give way. 

"Sarah, what-sweet Rassilon!" her Doctor jumped as a hairy tarantula spider, about as tall as the girls themselves, emerged, Sarah and Sienna wrapped up in it's clutches. 

"It's a Racnoss!" the younger Doctor shouted out. "Keep still, we'll have you out of there!" 

"Hurry!" Sarah squawked. "It's choking us!" she gave a cut off gasp as the Racnoss tightened it's grip. Sienna gave up fighting and looked into the creature's eye, which glared at her menacingly. The Racnoss threw the girls to the floor, then pinned them down, grinning wickedly at them both as it prepared to sink it's fangs into the girls. Sarah shrieked and cringed as Sienna tried to kick the thing in it's abdomen. The kick proved ineffectual, as the Racnoss did not feel it, knocking Sienna down again. 

The Doctors hurriedly dislodged a cell door with their sonic screwdrivers as the Racnoss drooled and made noises in it's throat, shrieking in delight at it's two captures. While the older Doctor hoisted up the door, the younger one yelled, "Aim for the thorax, girls!" 

Sarah heard him, as did Sienna. The two girls mentally counted to three, then unleashed their feet on the thorax, pounding on the Racnoss, which reeled back. Sarah and Sienna scrambled away, but Sienna did not quite make it, as the Racnoss snared her foot and began to drag her back to it. Sienna hit her head and though she was dazed, she did not lose consciousness, the Racnoss sensed she had lost most of her fighting strength. 

"Sienna!" her Doctor cried out. Through her daze, she managed to see she was being dragged back, looked up at the Racnoss, then gave it a good kick to the head. Stunned, it dropped her, then she retreated to where the Doctors were. Sarah stretched out her arms to catch Sienna and huddled down with her as the Doctors began to take control of the situation. With the cell door, they were able to force the Racnoss back into the brick wall, then stretch an old coil of rope they had found, around the legs of the Racnoss. Like calf roping in a rodeo, the Doctors quickly tied up the Racnoss and shoved it through the brick wall. It landed into a deep lake on the other side of the wall, then disintegrated with a hissing sound. 

Sarah, with Sienna leaning against her, began to get up, helping her friend. The Doctors went to them, asking them if they were all right. Sarah nodded, but Sienna flew into her Doctor's arms. He held her, soothing her, until she had pulled herself together. 

"Sorry," she said a minute later. "Oh, God, I never thought..." 

"Nor did we," her Doctor reassured her. "It's all right now." 

"I know it is," she did glance around furtively, then turned her attention back to her friends. "I've had a deep fear of spiders ever since I could remember." 

"I know lots of people who do," Sarah said gently. "Not uncommon. Don't feel ashamed about it, Sienna." 

Giving her a warm smile, the older Doctor summed up the situation mentally and said, "Are we ready to continue on?" 

"Let's!" Sienna gave him a grateful smile as they trudged onwards. 

After another hour of walking, they all stopped for another rest. Sienna sat down on the floor with a sigh. "I don't know how much longer I can really go, Doctors. The tunnel seems to be endless." she massaged her legs, which were still sore from the Racnoss grabbing her. 

"We'll enter the junction point soon, then we will be in the very center of Shada." her Doctor hunkered down next to her. She gave him a tired grin. 

"What's in the junction?" Sarah eyed her Doctor, who was adjusting his hat and scarf. 

"The map of Shada's cell areas, and the general complex." he leaned against the cell barred door. 

"How's your head, Sienna?" her Doctor said suddenly. She looked up at him.

"Fine." 

"I saw you hit your head earlier," he fingered her scalp, looking for any bumps. "It didn't look too bad, I mean you were still conscious, then I just remembered it at this moment." 

She held back an involuntary sigh as she submitted to his probing. "That actually feels pretty good, Doctor." she admitted.

"Good," he straightened up. "No lumps, except a small one on the back of your head. Think you can keep up?" he helped her up. 

"Jelly baby?" the older Doctor held out the familiar white wax paper bag. Sienna giggled and took one. 

"No, take a little more," he encouraged her. "Got to keep our strength up." 

"That may be so, but not on the basis of pure sugar and corn syrup," she reminded him. "We the feeble humans will need nutrition soon." Sarah agreed.

Not to be outdone by her words, he flashed her his energetic smile. "I often forget you are both humans," he retorted playfully. "Sometimes I think you're Time Ladies." 

"What, and be pompous like you are?" Sarah ribbed him. "Not a chance." 

His rewarding laugh echoed as they trotted along briskly in the dank darkness. 

Another hour passed, they emerged into the junction of Shada. The octagonal room was dark, but the Doctor turned the lights on by finding a switch that he inserted the sonic screwdriver into. The room was painted in the three colors of the Time Lord chapters, the walls were white, and a gigantic seal of Rassilon was painted in the center of the floor. Sienna and Sarah stared in wonder as the control panels lit up.

"They're keyed in to the Time Lord heartbeat," the older one leaned over a row, examining them. "According to this, Shada was closed down about 400 years ago." the green analog readout flashed 400 in purple digits. The high council was immortalized in a painting hanging beside the door. Sienna stared at it, seeing that the members were uptight in still ceremonial dress, frozen smiles on their faces. Sarah had found individual paintings of the three top members of each Time Lord chapter. She squinted in the light, noticing each expression was what she deemed 'frozen friendly'. They had stiff polite expressions, but they did seem frozen on them, as if they didn't want to smile. 

"Did all the Time Lords look like they didn't want to smile, but did?" she turned from the paintings on the wall and faced the Doctors. 

The Doctors bent over the panels, examining the now defunct wiring and circuitry. 

"No use in trying to fix this, as Shada's been abandoned." the younger one remarked, putting his sonic screwdriver away. The older one agreed, replacing the panels and securing them. The only computer system that was on now was a failsafe mode. None of the Time Lord information and records could be accessed, not even a Time Lord. The Doctors recognized this, and thought they didn't want any records, they knew it was no use jury rigging the system to see what had occured last. 

"Yes, that's true. So we can just play around and not worry about pissing anyone off!" Sienna sat on the control panel and watched her friends.

A computer light blinking in a dark chamber of Shada flickered on and off. A silhouette of an outstretched appendage flicked on the screen and watched as the security monitor followed the movements of the four in the junction.

"Soon it will be time to carry out the final phase." an ominous voice rumbled low. 

****

"Here you go, girls," the younger Doctor chirped merrily, leading them into a dining room. "Just say what you want and it'll appear. Just like the TARDIS." he left them to their own devices, going with his other self to further explore the junction's several rooms. 

"Well, let's see here..." Sienna trailed off. "How about a nice rotisserie chicken for both of us?" 

"All right." with a few other side dishes and a drink, the girls began to partake quietly. 

"Hmmm, the conference room, transmat, the trial room....oh, and the execution chamber." they looked at the small platform the prisoner would stand on. Then, the high council member would flick a switch, a small chamber would descend, and the offender would be instantly vaporized. The younger Doctor remembered it had nearly happened to him when he was in his fifth life. They exited the room, then went to see what the girls were up, as an hour had elapsed. 

Sarah and Sienna were sitting on the orange couch, both looked reenergized. Sienna was french braiding Sarah's shoulder length brown hair, making sure each braid was neat and even. 

"I tried to have long hair a few times," she was saying. "But it's so wavy and I gave it up, having it hacked to what it looks like now." she giggled. 

"I like your hair, Sienna. It's very thick and wavy." Sarah told her sincerely. 

"Thanks, Sarah. If I had hair like yours, I would go longer as well. When I first came aboard the TARDIS, my hair was dyed a deep dark red over my natural brown. I have red highlights and it looked so good on me." 

"I once dyed mine blonde and I hated it. I wouldn't go out of the house without a hat on!" Sarah laughed. 

"Are you girls having fun yet?" the older Doctor bustled into the room, brushing off his red peacoat. His older incarnation followed him, his electric blue suit was a bit dusty and his red canvas sneakers left a smear of dirt on the floor. 

"Why yes, we are, Doctor." Sienna knotted the elastic band in and finished Sarah's hair. 

"What will we do now?" Sarah admired the effect in the small mirror mounted over the couch. "More exercising? More wandering around?" 

"Well, that I don't know exactly," the younger Doctor admitted. "We have no definite plan as of yet. We can go into the courtroom, if you like." 

"And observe more outrageous Gallifreyan architecture," Sienna jumped up. "Outrageous to our teeny little earthling minds." she defended before the Doctors could open up their mouths.

"All right." they walked along the corridor, the brick walls lit with the electric torches, eerie green light threw their shadows across the way. Sarah and Sienna lagged behind, gossiping as the Doctors rolled their eyes. 

"Well, my ladies," the older Doctor trilled after half an hour of walking. "Here we are, the courtroom." he opened up a door. The room looked like a typical earth courtroom, the walls were white with squares of the three Time Lord chapters decorated on the walls. Furniture was gray, made out of a dense plastic. They all walked in, looking around at the three chapters inscribed on the walls in a decorative script. A portrait of the Lord President dominated behind the judge's bench. The judge's robe was a rich golden color, Sienna fingered it, then looked up.

"It's pure silk! Beautiful." 

"Is it really?" Sarah joined her and fingered the cloth. "So gorgeous!" 

"Yes, we have a large insect here which spins a thread into that rich silk," the older Doctor gestured to the judge's bench. "The citizens gather it up and spin it into a variety of clothes, similar to the way that sheep's wool on your planet is used." 

"There are no sheep's wool that is as rich as this." 

The Doctors smiled as they sat down in the jury's box, watching as the girls ran around like little kids, admiring everything in sight. The older Doctor put his shoes up on the chair in front of him, tilted his chair back, brought his hat down over his face, then began to doze off. imitating him, the younger Doctor steepled his fingers together and closed his eyes. 

Without warning, a rumbling sound brought them all to attention. Sienna froze, looking around as the quarry outside began to shake. The Doctors and Sarah joined her at the window, seeing all the rocks tumbling down towards them. 

"It's going to hit here!" the younger Doctor yelled, putting his hand in Sienna's and turning, running away. The older Doctor mimicked him with Sarah, and they were back in the corridor as the large rocks pummeled into the wall. They hit with such force that the four were knocked off their feet. 

When the dust settled, the older Doctor coughed a few times and brushed a big rock off of him. He sat up, then noticed his future self was lying on the ground, blood streaming from a shallow cut on his left cheekbone. Getting no response when he called to him, he grunted and knocked off all the rocks, getting up and over to him. The older Doctor checked his future self over for broken bones, then hauled him away from the rocks. He sat down beside his future self, examining him more thoroughly, jumping when he heard a noise. 

"Doctor?" Sarah's voice carried over to him. He jumped up and began to dig her out of the rocks carefully. He would not let her move an inch until he had checked her over and declared she had no broken bones. Sarah went over to the younger Doctor and sat down beside him. She brushed aside the brown hair, observing the small cut. Sarah pulled out a tissue and began to mop the blood off of his face and in general, tidy him up a bit. He groaned, the brown eyes slitted open for a moment, then he closed them again. 

"Don't you worry, Doctor," she tried to help him. "It'll all be all right. My Doctor is looking for Sienna right now." 

"Is she...okay?" 

"We're looking for her in the rocks, Doctor." she drew him up into her lap. 

"Sienna!" the older Doctor called. He clambered onto the rock pile and began to dig for her. 

"Over here, Doctor!" her voice sounded strong, he hoped she was unhurt. He went towards the sound of her voice, removed a few very big rocks, then saw her face.

"All right? Nothing broken?" 

She grimaced as he helped to pull her up. "I'm all right for the most part." she stood with him and allowed him to help her climb down. When they were with the others, she extended her right wrist. The Doctor took it gently and examined it, noting it had turned black and blue. Sarah saw it as well, she cast a glance at Sienna's face. 

"Rock landed on my wrist back there." she flinched as the Doctor pulled out a small bottle and a long strip of white cloth, doused it with the water, then began to wrap her wrist in it. Sienna tried not to let the pain show in her face, but failed. She sank down to her knees after he was done with her, and examined her Doctor intently. Sienna probed his head with her long fingers, then was relieved when she found no lump on his head at all. 

"He'll be all right." she proclaimed, looking at him with affection. 

"Good. Will you?" the Doctor's blue eyes stared at her as she stood up. 

"Of course." her wrist still hurt her, but it was slowly fading out. They all had just settled in to have a rest while they waited for the younger Doctor to wake up, when they heard another rumbling. 

"Oh, not another earthquake." Sarah groaned. 

"That's not an earthquake, Sarah...." 

"Well?" Sienna asked quietly. A horrible screeching sound filled the corridor and came close to them. The girls reeled back as the Doctor observed what looked like a hideous owl like figure, with venomous black eyes. The body was black, the wings and tail were brown. The creature swooped down onto Sarah, snapping her up in it's mighty clawed feet. 

"Sarah!" the Doctor and Sienna cried. Sarah screamed as the creature matched hers with one of it's own. It reeled around, looking back at Sienna with an evil stare. Another creature zoomed in, picking up Sienna so fast, she didn't know what had taken her at first. Sienna kicked and struggled, emitting forth a tapestry of swearing that even the Doctor winced at the intensity. Powerless, he could only sit there and watch as the girls were carried off by the creatures. He could only sit and wait for his future self to regain consciousness, then they would progress on their journey. Their journey now turning into a hunt for their companions, he realized bitterly. 

Sitting down near his future self, he reflected on Sarah and Sienna, not for the first time. 

Sarah was undoubtedly very special to him. She was near and dear to his hearts, one of the few companions that he really identified with and had a strong bond to. Very willful at times, which would often get her into trouble, he'd had to rescue her any number of times. When she had been blinded, there had been a momentary panic, as he realized that she would have to stop traveling with him. When Solon told him that her blindness was permanent, he boldly stole back to the Sisterhood to try to mooch for the elixir of life for Sarah. That had been a false alarm, the eldest sister, Maren, told him the blindness was only temporary. When she had told him that, he was immensely relieved. It was then he realized just how much he liked having Sarah around in the TARDIS. 

"Speaking of that, I think Morbius was executed here on Shada." he muttered, looking around.

Sarah was very dear to him, but he knew Sienna was also. They would often argue, but talk and compromise now. Sienna told him her adopted parents told her that the word compromise would be very valuable throughout her life, and they were right. A real tomboy, Sienna disliked dresses, she loved to do physical things, like shoot basketball, dribble a soccer ball with her feet. Sienna had turned around his view on ladies, he always thought that they were prim and proper, embarking on careers and starting families. Sarah and Sienna got along very well, they rubbed off on each other. Sienna showed Sarah some chic fashions, told her she didn't always need heels, and made her look very well. Sarah showed Sienna how to do her nails properly, and instilled in her a real love for poetry. 

"We will get you back, girls." he promised himself, rapping the brick wall with one knuckle behind him.

****

With a final screech, the two owl like creatures deposited their prey on the floor of a vast chamber. Getting up, they looked around. 

It was dark in the far corners of the room, but they saw exam tables, lab stations with chemistry tubes set up. Large clear cylinders were sitting on one side, four control panels were sitting beside them. Sienna and Sarah saw what looked like people moving around, operating all the stations. One of them broke away from a group and approached the girls. He was a small stocky guy, blonde crewcut, black three piece suit with no tie, and black shoes. The brown eyes stared at them with an aura of menace in them. 

"Welcome," he announced, with a voice both girls thought was aristocratic and arrogant. " I am Chobah, the leader." 

"Sho-bah?" Sienna inquired. When he nodded yes, she continued. "What is that? I mean, what is all this?" 

"We are a Time Lord research study group. Everyone on Gallifrey knows of us. You are Time Ladies?" 

"No, we're just travelers," Sarah quickly cut in. "Just stopping by for a lark." 

"Ah. I can see you're both tired and one of you is wounded," his eyes traveled to Sienna's injured wrist. "My assistant, Arbote, will help you." 

A male, in tan chinos, blue shirt, white lab coat, black shoes, came up to them as Chobah left. The girls went with him meekly, unwilling to get on the Time Lord's bad sides. 

"This isn't right," Sarah whispered to her friend. "They would have known the Doctors were here and taken us all." 

"I know. Very peculiar. Let's not make them mad." Sienna shifted her eyes to Arbote, who lifted up a small storage locker and handed them two robes. 

"Change into these. You must not be wearing anything else." were his instruction. They complied, stripping down to their bare skin and putting the thin worn out terrycloth robes on them. Sarah knotted the sash, then discovered Sienna had no sash. Sienna bit her lip, thought, then opened up another locker, seeing a ball of hemp thread come rolling out. She pulled out a length, knotted it around her waist, then yanked the thin thread taut, causing it to break. Replacing everything in the locker, she shut it, then went with Sarah out to Arbote. 

"You will come this way." he showed them into the showers. Each took a stall, showered, scrubbing down all the dirt and grime they had sustained that day. When they were done, Arbote led them to a small chamber hewed from the side of the wall. He pressed a few keys, and a small white cylinder extended out at them, complete with a small platform underneath it. 

"Put your wrist on it." Sienna put her right wrist on the small platform as the cylinder raised itself up above her wrist, then went over it. More keys were pressed, a bright purple light flashed on for a moment, then stopped. The cylinder retracted, along with the platform, as Sienna examined her wrist. 

"Good as new!" she smiled, but that soon faded as Arbote remained expressionless. Chobah came up to him and whispered instructions into his ear. Nodding, his face remained deadpan as he led the girls to the cylinders. The cylinders were seven feet high, see through plastic, and about three feet wide. At his gesture, they went up near them, then he pressed a few buttons so the two cylinders in front retracted into the floor with a hissing sound. 

"Immersion tanks. Kinda what the magicians use." Sienna said needlessly. 

"We need to run a scan on your respiratory system, and your hearts," Arbote announced suddenly. "Step in there and put the masks on." 

"We can't disobey, it will only make an enemy out of them." Sarah told herself. They did as ordered, taking the clear plastic mask and hooking it down with elastic straps that went behind their ears. Arbote reached up and put on circular bits of tape that held a sensor in place over their hearts, another one was applied to the right side of their chests. A gas was turned on, one that Sienna thought she recognized. After a few minutes, she dimly realized they were stripping her and Sarah of their robes, now they stood naked. Chobah came to the front of them, putting on clear plastic surgical gloves. Arbote stood there silently, in his hands were surgical tools. Sarah tried to react to the situation, but the gas kept her in an immobile state. Her senses were dulling, her limbs felt like they weighed a ton each. Chobah leaned over and switched on the valve to two enormous square like containers. A hissing sound emitted, Sienna felt her eyelids starting to close. The first gas was nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, she was sure. 

"Commence extraction procedure!" Chobah commanded. Sienna had heard him, she wanted to react, but she couldn't. She had to acquiesce, as the drug slipped into her body and deprived her of her senses. 

Several people came forward then, once the two aliens were unconscious. Armed with surgical tools, they commenced the procedure on each of the girls. When they were done, they went away to clean up. Arbote keyed in a sequence on the control console, then the cylinders slid back up again. The edges of the plexiglas met the black rubber of the tops where the mask plastic was threaded through. Then, the tubes filled up with a blue colored liquid. 

The two companions floated there, their bodies drugged, locked into suspended animation. Arbote stood back to look at them, silently admiring their naked beauty, and checking the fresh scars the surgical team had left on them. 

"I think these two girls would be lovely candidates for our plans." he muttered sinisterly. 

"Arbote!" Chobah barked. "Come over here and help with the filing! You're not meant to stand around gawking at two naked aliens!" 

"Right!" he exclaimed, withdrawing his left hand from where he'd unconsciously placed it on Sarah's tank. Hustling over to the workstation where Chobah was, he slid a small piece of plastic under a microscope and picked up a syringe. Using the scope, he was able to do what Chobah told him to, then proceeded onwards with the filing.

"Sir," another man came up to Chobah. "We have positive result in initial testing." 

"Excellent!" he smirked and looked at the test results. "Begin procedures for these two." 

At the same time, the younger Doctor began to stir, then groaned loudly. The older Doctor, annoyed, tossed his scarf over his shoulder and went to his future incarnation. 

"Can you hear me?" he asked. The brown eyes slitted open, then closed for a moment. 

The older Doctor pulled his hat out of his pocket and began to straighten it out, finally brushing the last bit of dust from it and plunking it on his head. He was annoyed at the rock wall for being so high, and keeping them from their companions. He had been digging them out for about an hour now and he'd made enough progress for both of the to squeeze through. The Doctor's mind was going a million miles a minute, wondering about Sarah and Sienna, how they were, if they had been hurt, etc. He mentally scolded himself for wondering and told himself that he would know when he saw them, until then, he saw no reason to speculate. 

"Come on, old boy," he grunted, propping up the younger Doctor. "Time for you to get up. You've lollygagged enough already." 

The brown eyes flickered once and fully opened up. He began to cough, getting the dust out that had settled in his lungs. The older Doctor set him down, then waved the sonic screwdriver up and down in a straight line inbetween his lungs. Once he was done, the younger Doctor drew in a shaky breath, then stood up carefully, as if his bones were made of delicate crystal. His older selt watched anxiously, hoping that he would not fall down. After a minute, the younger Doctor collected himself and looked up towards the hole his older self had dug out. 

"Dug a hole, I see," he drawled. "Well, grab the girls, and let's go!" 

"You'll want to wait a minute," his older self grabbed his arm as he made to climb up to the hole. "There's something you should know." 

Turning around, he focused his brown eyes on his scarf-laden previous incarnation. "What happened?" 

"You were knocked out in the rock avalanche. Sarah and Sienna were carried off by strange flying animals." 

The color drained from his face. "They did? Gorluks?"

He shook his head. "No, and I could tell if it was them. We'll get them back." 

"You're right, we will." 

"Let's get moving." they clambered up the rocks and managed to fit through the hole, one at a time. On the other side, they dusted themselves off, then drew themselves up straight, and launched into a quick power walk down the corridor.

****

"Were they hurt?" the younger Doctor inquired as they jogged along. 

"No...I think Sienna was. A rock or something landed on one of her wrists, making it swell up a bit. It'll be a nice pretty purple tomorrow, I'll bet." he felt his hearts pumping furiously as they quickly tackled a small set of stairs. The air was damp and thick with the smell of dust, the only light came from cracks in the brick wall as they went along. 

"Sienna's not a stranger to pain." a fond smile flickered across the younger Doctor's face and disappeared quickly. 

"How much longer before we get to...." he trailed off as he realized they didn't know where they were going.

"Well, let's see....there's a file and lab area down in the real bowels of Shada," the older Doctor furrowed his brow in thought. "Let's take the next door we find that leads down. The medical team used that place when Shada was still in use." 

"Shada.....I remember it now. Our Lord Rassilon created Shada for Gallifrey and the four other planets in the constellation of Kasterboros," the younger Doctor trailed off for a moment, thinking. " He decreed that if anyone committed even a minor infraction, they be brought here and disciplined properly. The minor offenses they spent at least a month in this prison and then they would release the person on a six star probation." 

"Correct. And Rassilon declared that if anyone committed an offense on the same level as murder, they would be given a trial, and if they were convicted, they were atomized the next day. Vaporized, I mean. Can't be good, standing there in shackles while the screen comes down on you. Rassilon was strict, but unmerciful to the offenders of his day." 

"Yes, and now he lies in eternal sleep at the heart of the Gallifreyan Death Zone." he mused, then realized they were coming upon a door. Reaching into his blazer pocket, he brought out his sonic screwdriver as his past self wielded his, then they opened up the lock on the door together. The door creaked open, a blast of rancid dusty air greeted them, making them wince. The older Doctor wound his scarf around his mouth and nose, then started downstairs first. The younger Doctor pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket and knotted it around the back of his head, pulling up the cloth so it covered his mouth and nose as well. 

Arriving at the landing, they found a vent grate and a power switch. A quick blast from the younger Doctor's sonic screwdriver, and the fan kicked in, bringing in fresh air from the outside. They both continued on, glancing around warily. 

"A six star probation?" the older asked. " I thought it was only three." 

"No. Rassilon thought three would work in the beginning, but he was wrong. So, he and the Time Lord high council discussed the matter. Something like stealing, the person would be brought out to Shada, prisoned, tried, and if found guilty, was sentenced to one month of incarceration. When the offender got out, he was given a very strict lecture that if he was brought back, they would imprison him for six years, no matter what the infraction." 

"Severe, don't you think?"

"That's Rassilon," the younger one shrugged. "I think the people of that day didn't take him seriously and he had to be severe." 

"True." the older one paid no attention to his scarf dragging on the floor as they walked. 

"It worked, anyway." 

"It did. Shada was shut down after a bloody long time in operation and everyone was moved to a higher security compound planet." 

"The prison needed an upgrade." 

"That's right. About time and I think Rassilon would be proud of the Time Lords now. In that respect," he added. "I know we find the Gallifreyan high council completely stuffy, boring, and so...mundane. So, we stole the TARDIS and hightailed out. Thirst for adventure, you know." 

"Yes," his younger self contemplated as they walked along. "Adventure, knowledge, companions to share it with.....but some of those experiences were not happy ones. People died, some that we knew and were fond of." 

"Katarina," his older self nodded sagely, a flash of pain crossed his face as he remembered for a moment. "Poor girl." 

"Anyway, it's Sarah and Sienna we must focus on now," his younger self said briskly, looking around. "Down there, we can hopefully find a map grid that will tell us where we are." 

The two walked on, not a word passed between them. After half an hour, they came across a small map grid system mounted on a wall in a T-shaped junction point. Dust settled thickly over it, making it barely recognizeable. The Doctors managed to blow most of it off, then eyed the two circular panels on each side of it. Recognizing it, they correctly identified the Gallifreyan symbols and each put their sonic screwdrivers in. The grid lit up with a faint hum, then went black again. 

"What did I do?" the older one looked over the grid curiously. The younger was about to reply, when a small keypad popped up on the left side of the grid. 

"Enter the high council's security mark." they read off. The older Doctor entered it, the panel clicked three times, then withdrew back into the wall with a neat pneumatic hissing noise. The grid glowed, then gave them their location, and how far they were from the file and lab rooms. 

"We'll be there in tomorrow morning." the younger Doctor proclaimed as the screen went black, shutting off. 

"By Rassilon or high water we will." the older one echoed, starting off on the pathway again. 

Clouds of dust stirred up on the pathway as they walked by, then settled down as they walked on into the semi-darkness. Shada night was coming on, both knew it was unsafe to be walking in the corridors in pitch blackness. 

The Doctors walked on until they could not see the light leaking in through the weathered cracks in the bricks, then they knew they had to stop. Sitting down with their backs against the damp wall, they were side by side, closing their eyes. Both drifted off to sleep, despite their anxiety about their companions. 

Sienna and Sarah hung lifeless looking, in suspended animation. Chobah approached their immersion cylinder tanks, surveying the two humans with evident disgust. Arbote stood at his side, face blank and expressionless as usual. In his hand, two loaded syringes sat on a surgical steel tray. The tech at the tank controls paused, monitoring the vitals of the humans. After a moment, she signaled the two that all was well, keying in a code at the controls. 

"Perfect," Chobah purred. "Position them if you please." 

"I think she would be the perfect specimen for our plans, Arbote." he aimed in and injected the contents into Sarah. 

"What about the other girl?" 

"Fool!" Chobah barked, startling his assistant. "See those scars in her flesh? She has had surgery in her puny lifetime and we don't know if this will work on her. I think it will, but the other girl will be our test subject." 

Chobah repeated the injection, then left Arbote to dispose of the syringes. The assistant did so, tossing them carelessly into a recycle burner, then returned to the tanks. He retracted the positions, leaving the girls in their tanks just as they were. Arbote cast a look at the girls, then turned away and loped off to where Chobah was beckoning to him. 

****

The Doctors woke up, got up, stretched, then proceeded onwards down the pathway. Neither had slept well, the older Doctor had dreams about the flying creature that had abducted the girls; the younger one had nightmares about being crushed alive underneath rocks from a quarry. Neither were sure about what they were going to face that day, and they were both on edge about not knowing the welfare of their companions. They trudged onwards, gloomy and short with each other as they walked on. 

"Oh, sweet Rassilon," the younger one was saying. The older Doctor ignored him. "What if they're drawn and quartered? Shada's an entire planet, they could be anywhere! I hope we're not lost in here. They're good strong girls, but they can't possibly fight their way out of whatever that was that took them, Sienna's allergic to a lot of things, what if she's had a reaction and died from it? You know Sarah couldn't handle such a burden without us there to take care of her. What if more are here from another planet and are doing nasty things to them? What if-" 

"WOULD YOU BLOODY SHUT UP!" the older Doctor roared, his voice echoed down the corridor. 

Stunned, the younger Doctor sank into silence as they walked onwards. As they paused to rest an hour later, the older Doctor looked apologetically at his suit and tie future incarnation. He was kneeling down, steepling his fingers and unsteepling them, obviously very worked up and nervous. 

"Sorry." 

Looking up, his younger self replied, "What for? I was being irrational." 

"No, you were addressing your fears. It's perfectly normal to blather on and on about scenarios," he contradicted, brushing dust off his red peacoat. "It was irrational for me to snap at you in such a manner." 

"I..." 

"I want you to try to keep your head clear until we know for sure. Clouding your mind with what if scenarios certainly isn't going to help matters any. Keep your mind blank, all right?" he looked his future self in the eye. "And you've had a knock on your head too. That could explain it." 

"Possibly," he got up, ready to go again. "We should be getting very close by now, if that map grid was accurate." 

"I think I see the outline of a door right down there." a quarter of a mile down the corridor, there was indeed an outline of a door there. They opened it, giving it a good kick against the doorjamb to loosen the stuck frame. Once inside, they gaped at the vastness of the room. It was more like a cave, a twenty foot high wall a few feet away had filing cabinet shelves filling up every corner of the wall. Eight feet away from the wall, two long tables and a storage cabinet were standing. 

"Wow," they both breathed in unison at the enormous room. "This must be the entire filing system of Shada. There must be records in here from Rassilon's time!" the younger one bounded over and yanked open a random drawer. 

The older Doctor thoughtfully opened up the H file drawer that was on the very bottom, then paged through it. 

"Nothing here on humans." he said after a moment. 

"Try homosapiens." his future self was absorbed in the file he'd pulled. 

On homosapiens, the older Doctor found two small files and that was it. He pulled them, pushed the drawer shut, then went to the table, turning on a light, sitting down, and opening them up. His keen blue eyes found a biodata strip and several papers. Aside from that, he brushed his fingers against something hard, pulled it out, then found a small plastic box. Upon removing the packaging plastic, he found it was very cold. The thin blue plastic had a clear front and a white back, it had six cubes in a grid design. In each grid compartment, he found something spherical, but couldn't identify it. He found a photograph at the very back of the file, then inwardly jumped to see Sienna's face.

"You'd better come see this." 

"What is it?" 

"Come!" the voice commanded. The younger Doctor immediately did so, taking the file and looking through it. His older self jumped up and began to root through the storage cabinets forcefully. 

"Oh, Sienna," the younger Doctor breathed. " What have they done to you and who's they?" his eyes spied the plastic grid. 

"What is this?"

"How the devil do I know?!" the older Doctor growled, then plunked down on the table a large electron microscope. With a syringe he'd found, he removed the identical grid from Sarah's file, selected a cube, picked up the strange little sphere, put it on a slide, then adjusted the settings.

"Oh......it's worse than I thought." he allowed his future self to look at the slide.

"It's a human egg!" he said loudly. "What kind of aliens would be here, conducting some sort of fertility experiments on our companions?" 

"To study the levels of progesterone and estrogen? To determine the answer why female humans are so strange?" his attempt at a joke fell flat as he removed his hat, put it away, then raked his hand through his curly brown hair. "We've got to find them. They can't last long if they are being experimented on. I will not have Sarah be a guinea pig!" 

"Same with Sienna. Why did they apparently freeze dry their eggs?" the younger Doctor put his black framed glasses on and skimmed through the pages. " It doesn't say." he removed the glasses and put them away. 

"The lab can't be far away. We'll go have a look." they crept along the small corridor, unwilling to be spotted.

Meanwhile, Chobah sent Arbote to analyze the two human subjects' vital signs. The assistant punched in a code and a printout burst forth with such vigor, the front panel of the controls burst off. 

"Be quiet over there!" Chobah barked. Arbote muttered something under his breath and replaced the panel. Skimming through the numbers, he pronounced all was well with the girl subjects. 

"Good!" Chobah went over and studied Sarah and Sienna intently. "These humans have such slow systems, Arbote. Do give them a healthy dose of that growth hormone we use. Use just enough so that we see some result, don't make it obvious." 

"Yes, sir." Arbote dragged out two small squares that were copper red in color, fastened on a length of plastic tubing, affixed it to the plastic tubing coming from the oxygen squares, then turned it on. The oxygen was fortified with all the chemicals that humans needed to stay alive, so they didn't bother with giving the girls IV lines and bags. Chobah looked at the girls until he saw a subtle improvement and Arbote turned off the growth hormone. 

"Absolutely perfect," he purred. "Another dose at the end of the day and I think we'll be well on our way to progress." 

When they had gone, the Doctors peeked out from where they had been hiding. Going over to the tanks, their mouths dropped open as they saw their companions in stasis. The liquid caused them to float up and down very gently, their faces remained shuttered. 

"Oh my dear Sarah Jane...." the Doctor put his hands up on the plexiglas, watching her with wide blue eyes. 

"Sienna! Dear sweet Rassilon, what have they done to you!" the younger Doctor said in a low hiss, his eyes traveling down her naked body. 

"Look..." their eyes traveled down to their companions' midsections. Just under their waistlines, there was a slight growth about the size of a small football. 

"They wouldn't dare!" 

"They would, whoever they are. I can't believe it." 

"We've got to get them out of here, but we can't do anything while they're like this." 

"We can't damage anything they're hooked up to because that will just kill them."

"Entirely correct, Doctors," Chobah's voice sounded. "I thought we had a few Time Lords on our hands. Our messenger birds conveyed as much to us." 

"What do you plan to do with them?"

****

Chobah walked in front of the tanks, a snide grin on his face. "Oh, they will be the new carriers for our species." 

"I thought as much," the older Doctor snapped. "What about after they've had...whatever is in them?"

"Why, then, we simply dispose of them." he put his hands in his pockets with the broad grin never leaving his face. The Doctors, faces nearly purple in anger, clenched their fists hard behind their backs. 

"Wasting good human lives for your little games! What are you anyway?" 

"You've seen us before, Doctors. We are Krillitanes." 

"The shapeshifters!" 

"That's right. Anyway, we've shifted so much, we have become sterile. The Krillitane race must live on, so we've been down here in Shada for a couple of hundred years, experimenting on old prisoners left to die here." 

"I'll wager you had something to do with the Time Lords removing their prison to another planet." the older one mused. Chobah sneered at him. 

"Yes we did, Doctors. We shapeshifted into Time Lords and influenced them into moving. When they tried to retaliate, we annihilated a fair portion of Shada before they acquiesced." 

"Just like the Krillitanes. Steal something and make it their own," the younger Doctor clenched his teeth. "How did you find out about us?" 

"Our bird creatures were making rounds on guard and saw your vehicle come in." 

"You triggered that explosion in the quarry!" he accused them. 

"We did, so we could weaken and separate you from them." 

"The giant spiders?"

"A creation gone awry." 

"And you want our friends to be mothers of a new generation of Krillitanes. Disgusting!" he spat out. 

Chobah walked up to Sienna's tank and rapped on the glass. The slight bulge in her moved a little bit, making the Doctors look on in shock. 

"They will look like humans, but when they are a few months old, they will begin to take on Krillitane characteristics and it's true form will emerge! From these humans, new life will emerge from their flesh, they will ravage the world and we will be supreme!" 

"Wait, their files with their eggs in it?" the older Doctor remembered. 

Chobah turned his smug grin on him again. "Spares, in case we screwed up the careful DNA blending process again." 

"We can't let you do this!" 

"You have no choice." 

"We always have choices!" the younger Doctor strode up to the plexiglas and withdrew his sonic screwdriver. He put it against the tank wall, then dialed up the power as far as it would go. Covering their ears, the Doctors watched as the high intensity soundwaves destroyed the plexiglas. He quickly picked up Sienna, disengaging her from all the gadgetry she was hooked up to. As he unhooked the mask from her face, he repeatedly said her name, but she did not respond to him. The other Doctor managed to attack Chobah as soon as his counterpart was making his move, and managed to knock the Krillitane out. Arbote was nearby, but the younger Doctor easily fended him off, sending him crashing into a table piled with glass test tubes.

The other Krillitanes were nowhere to be seen, but the Doctors didn't pay any attention to that. After disentangeling Sarah, the older Doctor threw open a drug cabinet and began to haphazardly load chemicals into syringes. He shook it well, then jabbed it into Sarah's arm. She reacted to that, blearily opening her eyes for a moment, then closed them. 

"She's getting the positive reaction. Give Sienna here." he injected the substance into Sienna's arm and she did the same as Sarah. The Doctors had jury rigged explosive bombs around the perimeter, made out of the chemicals they had found in the file room earlier. They draped blankets over their companions' forms, then with the combined strength of both sonic screwdrivers on maximum power, they triggered the bombs. 

The two bird creatures squawked as they flew in, distracted by the noise. The Doctors stunned them by a blunt punch to the face, then grabbed a hold of one of their scaly legs each. Hanging on for dear life, they secretly marveled at the birds' speed. In no time at all, they were clear of the explosions and near the TARDIS. They jerked on the birds' feet, telling them to go lower, which they did. The Doctors and their burdens landed safely, standing in the pathway about five hundred yards away from the TARDIS. 

Barely in enough time to catch their breath, the Doctors paused, seeing multiple explosions, all in a row, getting nearer to where they were. Sarah and Sienna were semiconscious now, trying to stand, but not able to stand alone just yet. The Doctors looped one arm across their shoulders, then looked back to see where the explosions were, as dust flew everywhere. 

Sarah held her breath for a moment, then exhaled slowly, noticing something funny about herself. She looked quizzically at her Doctor. "Doctor, I just felt-" 

"Not now Sarah! Move!" he encouraged her to run towards the TARDIS and she did so. The younger Doctor followed, toting Sienna in the same way.

Reaching the TARDIS, they put the girls in, shut the door, then pressed the keys for dematerialization. Sienna and Sarah still lay on the floor, in a semiconscious stupor from all they had been through. 

Occasionally glancing over at them, the Doctors programmed the TARDIS to drift in the vortex for awhile. Sarah sat up, then began to realize she was wearing only a blanket her Doctor had hastily thrown over her. 

"What happened?" she asked. "Why are my clothes gone?" 

"You were the victim of a cruel experiment, Sarah. What's the last thing you remember?" her Doctor knelt down beside her. She raked a hand through her brown hair and looked up at him. 

"This man asked us to let him test me and Sienna for heart and respiratory function. I remember feeling very tired, the whole room was spinning, and I closed my eyes. I must have slept for some time." 

He nodded. "You were in a stasis, Sarah. You and Sienna were locked into giant cylinder test tubes or immersion tanks, they kept you under constant sedation so they could experiment on you." 

Nearby, the younger Doctor was explaining it all to Sienna, who looked groggy, but otherwise herself. 

"Experiments? What kind of experiments?" 

"You and Sienna were chosen to give birth to the new species of Krillitane." 

"WHAT?!" both girls shot up. 

"It's true," the Doctors affirmed. "Go and change, you'll see." 

When they reappeared, Sarah wore a pair of blue leggings and white sweater. Sienna wore a purple V-neck top and her white skirt. 

"Notice anything different?" the girls would try to hide it, but their football bumps protruded outwards about six inches at their waists. 

"There's got to be something else," Sienna announced. "I couldn't have gotten this big without knowing I was preggers before all this. It's too sudden." 

"From that small square canister you girls were hooked up to, I'd guess you were given concentrated doses of a growth hormone." the younger Doctor answered them.

"And it's too late for an abortion?" 

"Correct, Sarah." 

"Damnit," Sienna swore, winning sharp looks from the Doctors. " I guess we have to make the best of it."


	19. Interlude

Interlude

4/10/Sarah/Sienna

Fluff piece, doesn't extend the plot at all

The Doctors, working on the TARDIS console, leaned against it from where they were sitting under it. The older one put his sonic screwdriver away and looked at his younger self. He was sitting cross legged, elbows on his thighs, head and chin in his hands. The past week had been quiet, the TARDIS did not dump them anywhere in a hissy fit, she seemed well behaved unusally. 

"What's going on?" he asked, removing his scarf from where it draped around his knees. 

His younger looking self jumped. "Oh, the girls." 

Sarah and Sienna had been good natured as always, but now they were carrying future Krillitane-human hybrids. They had spent a lot of time recovering from their ordeal, sleeping and reading alternately. Both of them reported no typical pregnancy symptoms at all, they felt quite healthy. 

"You feel guilt, too?" his older self pulled out a cricket ball and began to bounce it against the wall, catching it and throwing it back.

"How could I not?" the younger Doctor fiddled around with a loose piece of thread from his brown blazer. "I mean, we couldn't protect them." 

"True, but we can't protect them from everything," he reasonably pointed out, catching the ball and throwing it again. "They know how to defend themselves in most situations. Sarah told me the worst thing they could have done would be to refuse the Krillitanes. Neither wanted to make enemies of them and they were right to go along with it." 

"And the aliens they're carrying?" his brown eyes were dull. 

"A consequence. You know as well as I that every action has a consequence. They're taking it in stride." 

"There's no other way to take it, Doctors," Sarah piped up. "It's an...experience." clad in a black and white striped top with black vest and a white skirt, she moved towards them on her silver colored flip flops. The Doctors stood up, watching her. She had gotten a bit rounder that week, it now looked like a small soccer ball had gotten lodged in her stomach. It protruded outwards, giving her shirt a bit of a shrunken look, it didn't quite cover her round belly. A small peek of flesh showed, but no more than that. 

"Swallow half a soccer ball?" her Doctor joked as she smiled at him. 

"Not entirely," she jested back. "Sienna's in the library, reading. I just wanted to see how you two were doing." 

"Fine, fine," the younger Doctor whacked the TARDIS console panel. "How are you?" the TARDIS grunted, but obeyed. 

"I'm all right. Strange dreams, but that's part of it all." 

"Even so, I hope you don't want to do this sort of thing in the near future." 

"No, Doctor," Sarah shot back. "It would have been one thing if they asked me. Just to trick us and trap us in suspended animation where they experimented on us...it's unthinkable!" 

"Krillitanes don't have a conscience. They have some semblance of feelings, which raises them an inch above the Daleks. And Cybermen." the younger Doctor stood next to her. 

"According to our research in the library, Sienna reckoned we're about 28 weeks along. I'm glad we bypassed the first stage! Still can't feel anything moving though." Sarah put a hand on her bulge and looked at it for a second. 

"Nothing. Well, I'll let you two get back to work." she turned and walked away, giving them a friendly smile. 

In the library, Sienna looked up as Sarah entered. Her friend sank down on the armchair and gave a sigh. The fabric of her shirt pushed up a little bit more, showing about an inch of flesh. Sienna, clad in loose fitting blue track pants, blue camisole top, and her blue shammy shirt. She was the same bulge size as Sarah, though she had tucked in her cami top so that none of her flesh showed through. Turning the page with red painted nails, she was reading a human anatomy book. Her sneakers dangled on the edge of the couch aimlessly. 

Sarah looked over at her friend, who seemed uninterested in the book. Sienna flipped the pages fast, Sarah doubted that she was reading them at all. Pushing up her shirt so her small bulge showed, Sarah rested her arms on top of it with a sigh. 

"Let's go to the medbay, Sienna." 

"What for?" 

"Isn't there an ultrasound machine in there? I remember the Doctor showed it to me once, when he explained the advances in medical technology." 

"There is, yeah. Wanna invade your child's privacy, eh?" Sienna giggled and got up, casting aside the book. Sarah put her shirt back down and followed her friend with a slight smile on her lips.

In the far corner of the medbay, Sarah opened up a closet, then revealed a computer with transducer probes of a few different sizes. She hooked her hand underneath the cart and brought it forward. Sienna plugged it in and turned it on, checking it carefully.

"Wanna go first?" she asked. Sarah promptly flipped up her shirt and lay down on the exam cot. Sienna fumbled around for a lubricant, flipped open a few cupboards, then finally found a vast stock. A few gallon jugs of KY gel lay at the back of the cupboard, collecting dust. She tugged out a jug, brushed off the dust, then opened it up. To her knowledge, KY didn't expire. So, Sienna donned a rubber glove, dug in the jug, then drew out a large dose, smearing it on Sarah's belly. After a few errors in the computer were dealt with, she yanked out the transducer probe and the screen lit up.

"Have you done this before?" Sarah watched as Sienna looked at the monitor. 

"No," she admitted. "I play it by ear, Sarah." the image was crystal clear, none of the usual black and white. It was like looking in with a laparascope, images were bright and sharp. Sarah could see her child, just drifting around. It looked human to her, but the Doctors had emphasized that it would turn Krillitane within a month or so of birth. They had also said they would not be traveling to any planets until the children were born, so they were not in danger. 

"I see," she looked at the monitor as Sienna guided the probe around. "Can we see the sex?" 

"May be too early for that, Sarah. We should be feeling our little buggers start to move any day now." Sienna answered her. 

"What's that?" 

"The cord. There's all the fluid, making our kids look like ships in a storm at sea," she giggled. "There's the spine." 

The little fetus turned around, dangling. After a moment, the fetus floated upwards and lashed out with a foot, kicking it's mother. Sarah put her hand down to the spot, where she had seen the outline of the foot, then laughed. 

"It's protesting the tenant's lease," Sienna joked. "We should give them names for now. Unisex ones would be good." 

"Uh.....Joe." 

"Hmmm....Leslie or Les for short." Sienna and Sarah switched places, with Sienna putting the probe against her small bulge. Les looked the same as Joe did, floating around and not moving at all. The fluid surrounded Les, who rocked up and down gently, just like a ship at sea. When Sienna was ready to turn the ultrasound off, Les stretched out and promptly pushed it's mother sharply. Sienna froze, then it registered in her mind that her baby was moving. To her, it was like bubbles and to see the indent was like a flash of lightning. 

"Wow," Sarah put the computer back, noticing on the side, it's proper name. "A supersound machine. I guess that explains those sharp images." 

"I think so." they left the medbay and bade good night to the Doctors.

****

Sarah woke up in the middle of the TARDIS night, unable to go back to sleep. She thrust the covers aside, then just stared for a moment at the small bulge rising a bit out of her stomach region. Unable to keep her eyes off of it, she gaped openly as she saw the bulge start to glow for a second, then it ballooned out so it now looked like she had swallowed a basketball. She was unable to even see her feet and her fetus was very active, bouncing around. No stretch marks showed, she was not uncomfortable at all. The only thing, she could hardly sit up on her own, and getting up she had to wedge herself at an angle and shift her weight quickly. 

"From small soccer ball, to big basketball," she muttered. "I'll be even bigger when the sucker turns into the birth position and lodges against me." she stretched her back and stood up. Sarah's nightgown dangled only halfway down her big belly, so she changed into a longer nightgown, which reached the floor. Sienna was still asleep in her room, Sarah noted her friend's belly had ballooned out as well. It stuck up like a sore thumb now, all the bedclothes were off the bump at the moment. 

As Sarah watched, Sienna's baby, Les, gave a small push at her navel. Sienna remained asleep, which Sarah envied. Leaving the room, she saw the younger looking Doctor at the TARDIS console, swearing in Gallifreyan, she guessed. Going over to him, he looked up in alarm as he saw her approaching.

"Sarah, you've gotten a bit bigger." he noticed right away.

"Gee, thanks. Where's my Doctor?" her baby bump was glaringly obvious now, her nightgown poured down around it. The nightgown had to be stretched out to cover her bump, she felt it was skintight there, yet loose everywhere else. 

"He's asleep. Do you need help with anything?" 

"Lucky him. I can't sleep, Doctor." 

"Your...." she took his hands and put it on her bump, where he felt a flutter. "I think I may have a mild sedative that wouldn't hurt either of you." 

As they went to the medbay, Sarah asked, "Doctor, I saw my belly glow and inflate a little more. Is that Krillitane?" 

He opened up the cabinet hurriedly, clearing his throat. "No, I think that's the growth hormone working on you. Krillitanes are very impatient and I know they gave you a dose of that stuff. The glowing is a sign the growth hormone is permanently gone. You're in the third stage now, Sarah." he gave her what she wanted and saw her off to bed. Within minutes, Sarah had fallen asleep, so he went to Sienna's room. 

She was just as Sarah had seen her last, lying on her back with her big bulge sticking straight up. The Doctor watched as she slept on, oblivious to him. He leaned over her and put both hands on her bump. Her ivory skin showed no stretch marks or anything of that sort. He looked at her surgery scar, then down at her face. The Doctor was about to leave when he saw an outline of an arm, meaning the baby was pushing her. Putting his hand over it, he pushed down inward, then was rewarded with another fierce push. 

A small grin lighted up his face for a moment, then he left the room. 

Two weeks later, Sienna was lying down on the exam cot while Sarah guided the probe over her swollen belly. Sarah had already had her exam, she had discovered that her baby had turned upside down and was lodged against the mucous plug that prevented her fluid from leaking. The girls had spent the days together, walking around the TARDIS gardens, taking swims, eating healthy. The Doctors let them do whatever they wanted, while they were constantly working on one facet of the TARDIS console or the other. 

"Look at the little bugger," Sienna spoke, eyeing the supersound's screen. "We've been pregnant for only a month now, Sarah. If anyone didn't know better, they'd have sworn we'd been knocked up 8 months earlier." 

"That's right," Sarah giggled. "Look at your baby, Sienna." 

While Sarah's baby had already turned into the birth position, Sienna's was moving around freely, apparently hyperactive. The fetus bumped against the uterine wall, then drifted around until Sienna guessed her baby was asleep. 

"Look at it, Sarah. I do think I'm getting downright fond of all of this." 

"Yeah. I wonder why it hasn't turned like mine did. I'd bet we were inseminated at around the same time." Sarah looked closely at the screen. 

"Won't be too long now." as they watched, Sienna's baby floated upside down, then got it's head stuck against the plug. The fetus had successfully turned into the birthing position, the uterine walls narrowed to keep the baby still. 

"We must be about 34 weeks now. When we came in here from Shada, I estimated we were at 22 weeks. Two weeks ago, we were at 28 weeks." Sienna wiped off the smeared KY gel and stood up as Sarah cleaned off the probe. Taking her shammy shirt, she drew it on as she pulled down the pink cami top she was wearing that day. She buttoned up the button on top of her big belly, then left the rest of it dangling. Sarah donned her clingy black shirt, which came down to her pants, tucked it in, giving her a neat look. Sarah walked forward in her gray clogs as Sienna followed, in her favorite sneakers and black pants. 

"Ugh, Les is kicking up a storm." Sienna groaned as they went to the console room. 

"Ah, hello, girls," the older Doctor put his had on his head. "What are you up to?" 

"Nothing much, Doctor," Sarah looked at the screen, which showed vast stars. "Where are we?" 

"Nowhere in particular. I told you, it's better to wait until your children are born." he gave her an admonishing look. 

"Shouldn't be long." Sienna went into her room, her bedroom, then drew a bath. She stripped off her clothes and tested the water with one hand. It was to her liking, so she slipped into it.

With everything but her bump covered, Sienna washed her hair, then closed her eyes as her baby kicked her again. 

"Wonder what everyone would think back home, that I'm knocked up." she let a lazy smile onto her face. 

Sienna would have kept it a secret as long as possible. When she finally started to show, Sienna would have gone away for a few months to secretly have the baby, give it up for adoption, then come back home. She was very secretive about some aspects of her life, and she was peculiar about who she let in on it. 

Now, she was surfing the galaxies with the Doctors and Sarah. The last adventure had made her a surrogate mother, but to her surprise, she didn't mind as much as she thought she would. She would often refer to the growing baby inside her as her tenant, or uterus renter. The bump was as big as it was going to get, it had tightened up a little more as her baby had turned into the proper position. Her fetus still moved actively, but she hadn't noticed any sleep deprivation from it. Sienna cleaned her belly and grinned as the fetus gave her a push in return. 

She could visualize it, the child growing in her uterus. Suddenly, she wanted to see it again, so she finished up, put on a black bra, a pair of shorts, flip flops, then headed down to the medbay. She set up the supersound machine, spread the gel, then held the probe against her while she was standing up. Her baby frowned, then stretched out, causing her bump to contort wildly for a moment. Sienna had to sit down, as her future baby had packed quite a punch into her. Grinning, she liked it when the baby moved, it gave her a weird feeling that she liked a lot. 

"Sienna?" her Doctor hesitated at the entrance. 

"Hi, Doctor. It's amazing." she told him without taking her eyes off the monitor.

"Yes, I know. I always thought you humans had the best way of procreating." he joined her.

"Thanks." 

****

"I mean it, Sienna. Nine times out of ten, a child is created out of pure love, like a gift to each partner." 

"That's right. I never thought it would happen to me, but it did. In a way," she added. " I can forget that it's Krillitane right now and just focus on my child as a human." 

"That's the best way to do it. Trouble sleeping?"

"Nope. I never had any trouble. You might think the moving baby keeps me up, but it doesn't." 

"Sometimes it does Sarah. I can hardly believe how big you've gotten." Sienna tidied up, then put her bathrobe on. She cinched the sash right above her bump, leaving her naked belly showing through the fabric. The Doctor kept his eyes on her eyes, resisting tempation to feel her belly like he had done previously. Sienna looked at him, then led him to her room. Once there, she lay down on her bed, her belly concealed by the bathrobe. Even through the terrycloth, both could see her baby moving constantly. A particularly powerful push made the belly jump and Sienna exclaim in alarm. 

"Got a circus act under there?" the Doctor joked. Sienna giggled.

"Feels like one." 

"Bedtime for us all. Good night, Sienna." 

"Good night, Doctor." 

The next day, Sarah began her process of easing herself up on her elbows, moving her legs to the floor, then sliding off of the bed. She walked into the bathroom sleepily, turned on the light, then looked in the mirror. 

Her bump was now even bigger than it was. Running out to the medbay, she found Sienna already there, scanning her own huge belly. Sarah sat down beside her, biting back panic as her baby kicked inside her. The screen clearly showed one baby, but Sienna looked very carefully at it.

"Oh my GOD!" she nearly screamed. Her placenta had another baby in it, both separated by the thick organ. Sienna checked her uterus, then swore freely as the transducer was kicked by the second baby.

"Sarah, we've both got twins! Those damn Krillitanes! They must have a failsafe system or something." she scanned her friend, then both went out to their Doctors.

"Girls, you look..." the older Doctor started. Sarah wore a bathrobe, Sienna had on a blouse that did not quite fit her, as her midriff showed a little bit.

"The Krillitanes gave us twins! We're friggin' huge!" Sienna proclaimed.

" It could be worse. The first child was like a practice or something, I'll bet," Sarah's Doctor proclaimed. "The hornome levels in you two must have signaled them somehow that it was okay to give you two more kids." 

"Right," Sienna growled, walking away. " I'll be in the library." 

Sarah found her friend lying on the couch, her shirt barely covering her big beachball sized bulge. She joined her there, both noticed each other's babies moving fast. Their bumps jumped, stretched, kicked, pushed, contorting the skin into odd shapes. Neither girl could see their feet, or the other sitting at either end. Sienna raked her hair back and sighed. Sarah jumped as one of her babies gave a very strong kick. Putting her hand on the spot, she felt one of the fetuses kick underneath her very hand. She watched, it was like lightning to her. 

"Live in this moment, Sienna," Sarah sat up a bit and looked at her friend. Sienna was watching her huge belly. "We've got twins on the way! Let's just relax for now." 

"Yeah Sarah, but sooner or later, we're going to pop," Sienna put a blanket over her belly. One of the fetuses kicked, making a strong indent. "Then the trouble will really start. We're about 34 weeks pregnant and it won't last forever."


	20. Repercussions

Repercussions

A/N: Just a hole filler. When I did Shada, I never intended it to end up the way it did. It threw in complications that gave me writer's block, so I quickly worked out something to get rid of the Krillitane factor

4/10/Sarah/Sienna

Warning! Graphic

Sienna wandered around the blue and white striped clocktower, hearing the gears chug the minute hand into place and it began to ring. It was 10 PM at night, she was touring the grounds with a local group. Sienna had always liked history, especially when it concerned a haunting. So, she had jumped on the bandwagon when a local research paranormal group invited her to tour with them. She had dressed in black, added her white sneakers that had reflectors on the heels. 

"Ready?" the team leader, Mara, called her. She stood up and flashed a smile as they disembarked the bus. 

Now, Sienna sighed, packing away her recorder, then straightened up. The hauntings of the clocktower were varied, but the most popular story was the one of the girl whose car broke down, got lost in the woods, and was met by a hideous male apparition. She had managed to get away, but was never the same again.

"Suppose I'd never be the same again," Sienna remarked. "Put in an insane asylum." she dusted off her knees where she was kneeling in the cemetery behind the clocktower, then began to walk towards the bus. The clocktower ticked away, oblivious to the cold and dark atmosphere as she walked to the roadside. Sienna knew all the stories and legends about the clocktower, she was hopeful the investigation would help shed some light on the old place. 

It was built in 1894 by an old man named Gabriel T Shapnel, he put his heart and soul into the construction. Unfortunately, he died before the clocktower was finished. His loyal construction workers finished it, his widow dedicated it to him, then left it at that. Fifty years later, a car accident caused by a drunk driver rammed into the side of the tower. It was rumored the angry driver still haunted the clocktower, he was an angry and belligerent creep before he died. Another popular story was that any girl unfortunate to be left alone at the clocktower after sundown, the angry ghost would hunt down the girl and rape her.

There was never any validity to that story at all, Sienna remembered. Plenty of accounts contradicted that story, so she didn't put any stock in it whatsoever.

When Sienna reached the roadside, she did not see the bus anywhere. Cursing, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number, but all she recieved was no service. Putting it away, she walked around, looking down at a granite monument in the sand, commemorating World War II soldiers that had died. 

Walking around for a little while, she heard a stick crack behind her. Sienna turned, but saw nothing there. This pattern continued for another half hour before she finally began to get scared. She broke into a run, circling back to the clocktower and hiding behind the stone monument. When she turned, a black figure stood in front of her. 

Remembering not to scream, she said, "What in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit do you want?" addressing a ghost like that demonstrated her sincerity, or so she had read.

The apparition said nothing, just appraised her with green eyes. Sienna found her arms thrown back above her head, she was suddenly lying down. Immobilized, she watched in horror as two hands trailed down her chest, her waist, then down to her vagina. Cold fingers separated the folds of her skin down there, she gasped as she felt one freezing cold finger penetrate into her. Sienna struggled, but to no avail. She had to lay there and submit to the apparition's ghostly will. The apparition proceeded to feel his way into her vagina, remarkably reaching all the way up.

"Oh, God!" she choked out. A black band appeared around her mouth, gagging her. 

A moment later, she tried to break away again as a cold finger seemed to go all the way up her vagina and into her uterus itself. Sienna could not help it, but she was beginning to get aroused by the movements. The man chuckled-a deep throaty sound she knew she would never forget. 

Her track pants and underwear concealed the fingering act that quickly progressed. The man brought her to the point of climaxing, then took his fingers away. He pulled off her pants, ripped off her underwear, then leered over her for a moment. Terrified, she could only watch now as the man picked up her legs, draped them over his broad shoulders, then undid his fly. Sienna groaned, then closed her eyes, her body reeled in surprise as the freezing cold organ thrust it's way up into her. Despite her warm vagina, his penis remained ice cold no matter how many times he thrusted into her body. Sienna, cold tears running from her eyes, kept her eyelids screwed tightly shut. 

Finally, a guttural moan emitted from the man's lips, and he pulled himself out. Sienna opened up her eyes in surprise as he withdrew, thankful her ordeal was over now. A thin trickle of her natural lubrication oozed out of her vagina as she was released. 

"Sienna!" one of her friends called for her. She found herself sitting upright against the monument, all her clothes were back on. Dusting herself off, she got up and went to meet her group.

"Where were you, girl?" 

"I got lost, Kevin." 

"Well, you got back all right." Kevin, a middle aged man with a beard, moustache, and frizzy gray hair, grinned at her.

Sienna settled back as the bus lurched into motion. "I think so." 

The alarm clock rang the next morning, alerting her to the fact she had to get up, another day was starting. Sienna turned it off, irritated.

"For pete's sake," she muttered. "Don't I get a day off?" Sienna attempted to sleep in, but her body clock told her to get up and get moving. She rolled over onto her back, then opened up her eyes. The sunlight glare overpowered her for a moment, so she sleepily got up and drew the shade closed. When she returned to her bed, sitting, down, she thought that she felt a little heavier than usual. Ignoring it for a moment, she closed her eyes and lay down on her back again. A few minutes later, she felt a chilly breeze waft across her belly. Sienna shivered and tugged her pajama top over her stomach, but found it didn't cover her all the way down. 

"Oh, God. Did I gain weight overnight?" she grunted, trying to sit upright, but having to struggle at it. 

It took her a few minutes, but Sienna brought her back against the headboard, then focused on her midsection. Her belly had bulged out to a soccer ball size overnight. Pushing her hair back from her face, Sienna put her hands on her belly and pinched it. 

"Oh my fucking GOD!" she erupted. " That's what that asshole wanted me for last night! Apparently he wants to sire a child, using me for it!" 

Jumping up, she got dressed in a brown and gold top and stretchy black pants. Sienna put on her ankle boots, then inspected her reflection in a mirror. Her bump stood out a little bit, but she didn't care. Locking her apartment door, she hustled down to the nearest Planned Parenthood for an emergency examination. 

"At least I'm not full term yet, I don't need that kind of attention." Sienna consoled herself as she hurried along. A small breeze wafted up, causing her shirt to blow over her bump, flashing strangers. Sienna yanked her shirt down hastily, ignoring stares from other people. At the center, she had the good fortune to be admitted by an obstetrician immediately. 

"Lie down on here and I'll perform an ultrasound, transvaginal ultrasound, and I'll feel up your vagina as well." the female doctor, Dr. Mulligan, told her with a friendly smile. Sienna stripped, donned a gown, then got into position as the doctor came back in. Dr. Mulligan sat down, warmed up the bottle of clear gel, then squirted a small dose on Sienna's bump. Putting the transducer probe onto the gel, she spread it around, holding the probe firmly down. Sienna watched as an image of something came up on the monitor. Dr. Mulligan pressed a key, and the image became clearer. 

"That's your baby, Sienna. How far along are you, anyway?" 

Sienna, spying what looked like a string of beads, realized it was the spinal cord. "I don't know." 

"You haven't been to a doctor since this?" Dr. Mulligan shifted the probe to Sienna's waistline.

"I didn't know I was pregnant until today." she replied. 

"You may have known. Your uterus is getting bigger," she gently pointed out. "Have you felt any movement?" 

Sienna realized how absurd it would sound if she said she had been raped by a ghost and was having his baby. "No." Sienna watched the probe move over her belly, sliding effortlessly. Dr. Mulligan pressed another key and the swishing sound of the baby's heartbeat was heard to them both. 

"Well, I believe, since you're so big, you're in your 24th week," the heartbeat was cut off as the doctor removed the probe. " I'm going to perform a vaginal exam, then transduce an ultrasound probe up there." 

"OK." the doctor's lubricated finger went into Sienna's vagina, stayed there for a moment, then Dr. Mulligan checked the size and shape of Sienna's ovaries. Dr. Mulligan put a plastic coat on the thin probe, lubricated it, then put it up into Sienna's vagina as far as it would go. On the screen, both saw a black plug, blocking the probe's way into the uterus. A quick check of the vagina, Dr. Mulligan drew out the probe and sanitized it. Sienna looked at her, wondering why on earth that ghostly man would want to have a child by her. Perhaps it was a simple case of wrong place, wrong time? She held her breath involuntarily for a moment. 

Dr. Mulligan smiled at her. "I'd like to get a sample of your amniotic fluid, just to be sure, okay? Also since the ultrasound isn't one hundred percent efficient, I'd like to do a laparascope procedure on you. I wouldn't need to do this if you had come in sooner, but we might as well now, to make sure." 

"Fine." Sienna watched as the doctor gave her a local anesthetic and when she was numb, the doctor lowered in a long needle, using the ultrasound to guide her way. Both saw the needle an inch away from the baby's head, and Dr. Mulligan extracted a sample of the fluid. 

"Now," she said after she put the loaded syringe away. "I'm going in through your navel itself, so I don't have to make a cut. Lesser chance of harming either of you that way." 

"All right." since her skin was already numb, Sienna felt nothing as the laparascope was pushed in. She saw the scope penetrate her skin, the muscle underneath, and the outer pink uterus wall. 

****

Dr. Mulligan deftly went through the uterine wall, then guided the scope around Sienna's pregnant organ. The fluid churned, then the baby's skin was seen, Sienna saw her child, connected to her through the umbilical cord. The cord pulsated, glowing bright red, delivering essential nutrients to the baby. Dr. Mulligan made a thorough inspection of the unborn baby, then pulled the scope out. Sienna was released with a warning to come back in a month for the doctor to check on the baby and herself. 

Two weeks later, Sienna looked at herself getting out of the shower. She held a towel over her boobs, allowing her belly to hang out as much as it liked. Her belly looked full term now, though she still hadn't felt her baby kicking her yet. Grasping a hairbrush, she raked out her wet hair, humming a tune, toweled off, got dressed, then went to sit down on her bed and watch some TV. 

An hour later, she unbuttoned the shirt and let her belly come out into the open. She could not see her waist, it was completely covered up by the belly she'd started to refer to as a planet. The TV droned on as she found a special on how babies develop inside their mothers. It was ironic, yet comforting, as she now knew how her baby was developing inside of her. Sienna drew her fingers down the sides of her big bump and jumped when she felt something pushing her. Her bump shook a little bit, then continued to move around. 

During the next two weeks, Sienna did her business as usual. One night, she had a nightmare about her rape and ongoing pregnancy, jerking awake in the middle of the night. At nine AM the next day, Sienna got into a pair of white maternity pants, and a black button up top she could barely button, so she put on a coat. Going over to her friend's house, she knocked on the door and soon, Ruby Harrison answered.

"Ruby, look at me!" 

"What?" her friend looked bemused.

"This!" she opened up her coat and shirt. Ruby's eyes were wide as she took in her friend's pregnant belly, seeing an arm make a snakelike motion and withdraw into it's home.

"How did you get pregnant so fast?" 

"I was raped by that crazy drunken guy's ghost, Ruby!" 

"Oh my....well, he can't harm you now." 

"What do you mean?"

"It means he will only come back to claim the baby after you've had it." 

"Oh, shit! I'm only what, 28 weeks or full term or last trimester? This is ludicrous!" Sienna sank down onto the chair, shedding her coat. Ruby followed her, transfixed by the baby bump that kept moving. She sat down, gawking as Sienna's baby made a very visible kick, the skin poked upwards about two inches. 

"Stop moving!" Sienna spoke to her belly sternly. "Kid won't give me a moment's peace!" 

"That may be so, but there are ways you can have the baby," Ruby grinned. "One of my friends is a midwife. She can give you all sorts of drugs to induce labor." 

"Midwives can't prescribe drugs." Sienna bared her belly upwards, trying to get comfortable.

"OK, so she doesn't get them legally," Ruby admitted. "Do you want the kid gone or not?" 

The fetus made a tremendous jump in Sienna's belly, causing her to jump and shout in alarm. She angrily slapped her big bump and shouted, cursing at it. In response, the belly contorted into multiple shapes, then gave a very sharp kick. 

"I am not going to take this anymore!" Sienna grabbed a long thin fork, crouched down on the floor, then threw her coat off. As Ruby watched, Sienna pulled her pants and underwear off, then aimed the poker for her vagina. 

"Gonna break your water, eh?" Ruby asked casually. 

"If it's the only way. I'm full term, I know it, but no doctor will induce labor on me once they get my records." the cool iron tickled her vagina as she steered it up to it's intended target. She felt the soft mucous plug there, then plunged the poker right through it. Her water broken now, she leaked it into a small pink basin that her friend had brought her. Labor started immediately, Sienna put her legs up on the couch and had Ruby try to keep track of how much her cervix had dilated so far. 

"It's open!" 

"Already?!" Sienna winced as a spasm hit her. The fetus kicked her hard again, apparently angry it's swimming pool had been depleted. 

"Nothing about your pregnancy was normal, Sienna!" Ruby told her. "Start pushing this sucker out! Are you sure it isn't breech?"

"It isn't! I felt it assume the birth position last night!" Sienna huffed, drawing a long breath and grinding her teeth as she pushed. She felt the fetus move it's head slowly down from her uterus into her vagina. More pushing, and it slowly made it's way to the entrance of her vagina. Ruby supported Sienna's vaginal opening in order to prevent tearing, then coached her friend more on what to do. She complied, panting away as she began to feel the head pierce the outside, and grunted, drawing in another breath and pushing hard. 

"More! Here comes the shoulder!" Ruby held the head up as Sienna strained, eventually getting the shoulder out. The rest of the baby fell out easily, still attached to the cord. Ruby cut the cord, then after Sienna had regained her breath, coaxed her into pushing out the afterbirth. The placenta detached from the uterine walls and pushed itself down through the vagina, requiring little effort to expel it through. 

"It's a boy!" Sienna's stomach deflated like a balloon, as did her uterus. She pulled her clothes back on, giving the child a distasteful look. 

"Womb invader." 

The child gurgled and began to bawl. Sienna turned away indignantly, knowing that she was not going to nurse the son of a bitch who knocked her up. Just then, the baby dematerialized into thin air. 

"Sienna?" a familiar voice called her. 

"It's been a trying couple of days. She and Sarah have run the gauntlet through." 

"That's right." 

Sienna groaned and opened her eyes. The Doctors were standing over her, wearing identical concerned expressions. The surroundings were stark white, plexiglas see through walls, a long white privacy curtain was stretched over them. 

"Doctors?" she croaked.

"Sienna! How are you feeling?" her Doctor wrapped his hand around hers.

"Confused and tired." 

"Normal. Let's let her rest for awhile longer and we can tell her later what's happened." Sienna's eyes narrowed, she did not see any big bump where her twin babies should have been. She did not feel crushed, she did not feel any movement. 

****

A few hours later, Sarah managed to awaken fully, blinking open her wide eyes and taking in the white sterile surroundings. A nurse walked in, took her vitals, and left, not saying a word. She wondered why that was, the nurse had seen Sarah's awake eyes. 

Her Doctor came in a few minutes later, yanking his scarf from the catch under the door. He pulled it out with a muttered Gallifreyan swear, then situated hiimself at the foot of Sarah's bed, picking up a magazine. Sarah stared at him, wondering why he did not see her awake. It was like that sometimes, her Doctor was so intelligent in some ways, yet so daft in other ways. Perhaps he'd been hanging around aliens like humans too long and become one of them? She didn't think that it was possible. Sarah studied him as he flipped open the magazine and began to page through it. 

"D...doc...tor." she croaked, testing her voice to see if it sounded like her. 

The Doctor's head jerked upright, he pulled off his hat, rolled it up, then stuffed it in his pocket. He went to her side, looking down at her, casting a sideways glance at the row of monitors on the wall. Sarah wondered what the devil had happened to her, she wasn't used to feeling so weak and very tired. 

"Hello, Sarah," was it her imagination, or did his eyes appear a little watery? "How are you feeling?" 

"I'm so tired," she let her head fall back on the pillow, turning it to face him. "What happened to me?"

"You mean what happened to you both?" he corrected her, as usual. "Now that you're awake, I think we can tell you that story tomorrow, all right?"

"Tell me now." she pleaded with him, clasping his hand that gripped the bedrail near her head. 

"I don't know if I should. It might upset you." 

"Well, at least tell me where we are now. This isn't the TARDIS medbay, surely."

"No. We're on Zognoss again." 

"Again? Dr. Fohem?"

"The very same. You remember the twin kids you and Sienna were carrying?"

"Yes. What happened to them? Are they safe?"

"Uh, I suppose now is as good a time as any," he enclosed her hand with his. "Something happened with the Krillitane DNA and yours. You started to mutate into Krillitanes, Sarah. We found out early on so that we could stop the mutations before they became permanent." 

"Oh." 

The Doctor gave his companion a wry smile. "You started acting more and more strangely, so the tenth Doctor and I put our heads together and figured out you were behaving more like Krillitanes. The Krillitanes on Shada had cleverly designed their DNA to be gradually integrated with yours." 

"Those....scum!" Sarah expostulated, the glow in her hazel eyes became fire. The Doctor, concerned about overwhelming her with information when she was still so weak, patted her hand and looked down at her kindly. 

"It's nothing we can do now, Sarah. You and Sienna had to undergo rigorous DNA reprogramming, in a way. They analyzed a section of undamaged DNA and replicated it. In a few hours, the Krillitane DNA evaporated completely. You feel so weak because it was a time consuming process for your body, and they had to keep testing you to make sure the DNA had no trace of the Krillitanes." 

"Our babies?"

"Ahem," the Doctor cleared his throat. "Since you both needed a DNA procedure, they had to remove the source of the Krillitane DNA from you. The children were immediately surgically removed from you and Sienna, then put in the nursery." 

"Are they OK?"

"Last night, they went missing. The Krillitane part of them was developing even faster than anticipated. Rassilon knows where they are now." 

"Oh." Sarah's eyes closed.

"Go to sleep, Sarah," the Doctor spoke soothingly. " I'm glad to see you're finally awake." 

"Mmm hmmm...." she trailed off. 

The Doctors met in the small corridor, the tenth one had a mug of coffee in his hands. The fourth one adjusted his scarf so he wouldn't trip over it, then eyed his future self worriedly. 

"I told Sarah." 

"Do you really think that she would be strong enough to handle that information right now?" the brown eyed Doctor took a sip of his coffee, studying his fourth self with mild interest. 

"She was going to badger me and refuse to rest until I did," he made excuse. "Now that she's been awake, she's that much closer to recovering." 

"We shall see," the younger Doctor inhaled the coffee aroma. "It'll be at least another day or two before we can take them away. They'll need us to support them and once we get them back in the TARDIS, we can tell them the whole story." 

"True," he agreed. "And once we're all set on that front, we can go to earth for Halloween." 

"Sienna's favorite time of year. I heard when we were back on earth in her time, this team from a popular TV show wanted her to guest investigate with them. Apparently, Sienna's got quite the reputation as the ghost hunter who gets results." he took out his black phone, looked at it, then put it back in his blazer pocket. The younger Doctor was wearing a flashy teal colored suit with gray canvas sneakers and a matching tie. The older Doctor was wearing his gray ensemble as well, matching pants and waistcoat, red ascot, the multicolor scarf, and the brown fedora he always had. 

"For now, let's just think about how to tell them in the most calm way." 

"Agreed," the younger Doctor sat down near Sienna. "Ever since that visit to Shada, things really have been too weird, even for us. A nice trip to earth would help us unwind a bit and all that." 

"I hope they wake up soon..." 

Sienna and Sarah, while in the same room, had the privacy curtain drawn between them. Partly to keep the monitors separate so that the nurses wouldn't get confused and put them on the wrong thing. Upon their first arrival, they had the kids, then a supersound had been performed to make sure there were no lingering remnants of Krillitane DNA anywhere. Then, the girls had to be anesthetized and using the same technology the Doctors had helped invent before, Dr. Fohem programmed the system to purge the two humans' bodies of the Krillitane DNA. 

It had worked, the girls' DNA was squeaky clean of any alien influence and they were perfectly normal. Dr. Fohem knew the girls well enough to know that they wanted to be in the TARDIS as soon as possible, but they needed time to heal from the trauma. She gave the girls a little more of the sedative to be sure they had enough time to internally healed, then let the sedation wear off. Sarah and Sienna would be waking up slowly, she had told the Doctors. They just needed time to heal and nothing to overexert them. 

The Doctors had spent three days fretting over their companions. In the TARDIS, they had noticed the girls staying up late into the TARDIS night, sleeping from high shelves from wherever, and they were able to hold their breath for twenty minutes at a time. Sarah was able to read a book in five minutes, Sienna had somehow managed to grow wings and was acting strangely batlike. 

When they had found both Sarah and Sienna huddled in a broom closet while they slept, they mutually decided that it was too much and they both had to be seen by Dr. Fohem on Zognoss again. When they had arrived, the girls hissed and darted around the Doctors until it was impossible to persuade them to get out of the TARDIS. They adjusted their sonic screwdrivers to the stun setting, aimed them at the girls, then they both passed out. Picking them up, the Doctors took them to the hospital. Dr. Fohem was happy to see them, but not happy to see that the girls were in dire need of help. She immediately took charge as she had before, and the girls were put under a general anesthetic, the babies were removed, and the cleansing process had begun. 

"The only good thing about this is that they're on the upside of all this. It wasn't hopeless from the beginning." the younger Doctor murmured, falling asleep gradually. 

"That's right. Can I get you some coffee? You look like you need it." 

"No thanks," he muttered, hat falling over his eyes. "I could use this nap. I didn't sleep well these past few nights." 

"Ah." 

"How about you? How are you so hyper and up all the time?"

"It's a combination of things: some caffiene, an occasional jelly baby, the possibilities of a situation, or should I say the positive possibilities... When I get excited, anyone would know it." 

The younger Doctor chuckled. "Glad I haven't lost that spark of vivacity." 

****

The next day progressed slowly. Sienna and Sarah were both detached from their monitors and allowed to walk around. They carefully dressed in clothes the Doctors had brought them, then moved around stiffly. They had seen their surgery scars, almost obliterated by laser technology. Sienna was impressed, Sarah looked almost incredulous. 

Carefully, clad in a multicolor polkadot blouse and black knit pants with clogs, Sarah walked around the hallways, guided by her Doctor. Sienna wore a black rayon sparkly sweater, dark red corduroy pants, and black loafers. She was able to move around with her Doctor, only she ventured farther than Sarah did. They journeyed to the nursery, grinning at the newborns asleep and some were fussing in their isolettes. 

"Your and Sarah's babies went missing," he had to regretfully tell her. "The fact you both acted like Krillitanes was sufficient enough for us to proclaim the kids were Krillitanes in a human form. I thought the gestation rate was slower than that, but I was wrong." 

"It doesn't matter, Doctor," Sienna leaned against him. "If you remember, I wasn't really for having them anyway. Sarah and I just didn't want to make enemies of them while we were there. They tricked us." 

"I understand that." 

"I'm glad. Besides, we're older and wiser now, Doctor. We can sense danger at least a little better now." 

"That's right, I nearly forgot." 

"How bad was I?"

He started, uncertain of the question. "What do you mean?"

"You know," her brown eyes stared up into his. "How bad was I when I was a Krillitane?" 

"Bad doesn't come into this, Sienna. The Krillitane DNA had been enhanced, so it started to set up shop, so to speak. It began stamping the Krillitane DNA over your human DNA, thus causing you to act so bizarrely." 

"Why didn't it happen right off?" 

"You both were pregnant, remember?"

"Uh, yeah. The hospital surgeon even lasered our stomachs back to what they were previously." 

"Aside from that," he sounded a bit disgusted. Humans and their vanity. "The two babies you both were carrying set up the shop, it traveled through the cord to you, the mother, and it began to stamp your DNA over. Those Krillitanes were quite crafty, if I do say so myself." 

"Now we know, so we can be better prepared for them in the future. Now I have my body back so I can do whatever I want." 

"What?" he hugged her with his right arm, hand over her belly. " You didn't enjoy being knocked up?" 

"Nope," she made a face. "I couldn't stand it, Doctor. Lying down felt like I was being crushed, the twins kept me up all night with their antics, moving around all the time, all that. I had enough." 

"Makes sense to me." he laughed and they walked back to the room together.

"Oh, Doctor, there you are," Dr. Fohem hustled towards them. "Sienna's bloodwork is clean, she's healthy, recovered. They can go now." 

"Yay!" Sienna cheered. She had a fleeting moment where she remembered the dream she had, but brushed that aside for now. They boarded the TARDIS with vigor, each companion with their Doctor, helping them fly the TARDIS. 

"Sienna, before I forget, a team from a popular TV show in Britain wants you." 

"What's that?" the Doctor brought out his phone and showed her the text message.

"The Most Haunted team would be honored to have you come and help us investigate a haunting in Scotland on Halloween night." she read aloud. 

"A show where you come from?" Sarah pulled down a lever as the time rotor columns chugged away.

"Yeah. It's only for me though, I can't bring you guys," she cast a wistful glance. "How can you three come with me on this one? Or do you want to?" 

"I have an idea....maybe we can get jobs on the team." 

"Doctor, how? You're very close minded when it comes to the paranormal." 

"Well....maybe we can get tickets to the show. Since we're with you, do we get VIP passes?" 

"I think you guys get to, yeah. Can you handle it being me in the spotlight and not you guys?" she teased. 

"Of course we can," Sarah grinned fondly at her friend. "Besides, I think you can all teach them a lot about the paranormal and it would skyrocket ratings up." 

"Better tell them, Sienna. Ring them up and tell them you accept the invitation." her Doctor handed her the phone.

"Right!" she flipped open her phone and dialed the number.

"Karl Beattie speaking." 

"Hello, it's Sienna Blackman from America. You invited me to investigate on your show on Halloween?"

"Yes! Do you accept our offer?" 

"I do very much. I have loved your show for years." 

"Thank you. If you would be so kind as to show up on Halloween at call time, about six PM. How many people do you wish to get AAA passes?"

"Access All Areas? Yes, I have three people I travel with." 

"More ghostbusting?"

"I'll never change!" she shared a laugh with Karl and made all the arrangements.


	21. Haunted

Most Haunted

A/N: No copyright infringement intended. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC, MH belongs to Antix productions

4/10/Sienna/Sarah

Crossover with Most Haunted

"Now Doctors, did you get the coordinates right? The time, date, location, year?" Sienna quizzed them as she stepped out of the TARDIS, followed by Sarah. 

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes," the older Doctor snapped shut and locked the door. "Not like I intentionally get the coordinates wrong, Sienna. Sometimes the TARDIS takes us to random places." 

"I already know that, Doctor." Sienna wore a white cami top with a white and gold patterned hoodie zip up. Navy colored chinos and her running sneakers completed the outfit. On her ears were her silver colored wires bent into shape of a single star on each side. 

"Do we get front row seats?" Sarah was excited, wearing her wine colored chiffon blouse, a tan colored skirt, black tights and black knee high shiny boots. 

Sienna adjusted her crucifix necklace with rhinestones embedded in it, making it look a little flashy. "Yeah, you all do. This is the location of the investigation, the courtesy van will drive you to the studio. They'll give you passes and situate you up in your own special viewing room. Karl told me that complimentary services will be granted to you, catering, etc." the castle loomed up on a little hill behind them, looking foreboding, even in the faint sunlight. 

"Anything goes wrong, ring me up, all right?" she made them promise before one of the crew ushered them into the van and took them away. Sienna adjusted her hoodie zipper so it was just below her bust, giving anyone a nice glimpse of her white cami top and the small amount of a body shimmer she'd rubbed on her chest. Tossing her hair back in the gentle wind, she turned and began to scrutinize the castle visually in the setting sun. 

The crew was buzzing around, Sienna saw Wigan near the sound van, adjusting his camera. Stuart was with him, Simon on sound, but none of the other crew was to be seen yet. Turning off her cell phone, she saw a vacant chair near the catering van, strode over, and took it. A spare copy on the castle's history was lying on the chair with her name stamped on the top page in bold letters. 

"Get you something to drink, hon?" a blonde with a dazzling white smile leaned over the counter. Sienna smiled back.

"I'll need to stay awake for the next four hours. French vanilla cappuccino with a wee bit of cinnamon on top, please." 

"Coming right up, love." a few moments later, Sienna was rewarded with a small cup of steaming liquid. She took a sip, then grinned widely. 

"Marvelous." she complimented the girl. 

"Thanks." 

A few moments later, Sienna looked around for Yvette, Karl, Cath, Ciaran, or David, but didn't see them anywhere. She decided they must have gone on the walkaround inside the castle, then walked that way. The wind quickly chilled her drink, which she didn't mind at all. It was a small portion and she finished it in no time at all. At the entrance, she opened up the door and boldly walked in, being careful not to interrupt the possible filming that might have been going on. 

"Wow, this place is a beaut." she looked at the high beam ceilings, the circular foyer, the polished woodwork. Tapestries hung depicting Biblical scenes, the fireplace stood damp and disused. Her sneakers made a dull sound on the hardwood floor as she took in a tiled mosaic on one section of the wall. 

"Oh my..." she saw the mosaic was a red rose with a green thorny stem. 

"Isn't it gorgeous?" came a voice behind her. A bald man grinned and extended his hand. "Stuart Torevell." 

She shook it. "Sienna Blackman, paranormal investigator." 

"Ah, so you're the famous Ms. Blackman we've heard a lot about. Come right this way, they're finishing their walkaround." he led her into the main sitting room, where Karl, Yvette, Ciaran, and David were sitting on the red plush couch. They all looked up when they saw Stuart guiding Sienna in. She sat on a leather ottoman and mentally appraised the crew. Karl had friendly blue eyes and his manner was good, Ciaran and everyone had open mindedness, but Ciaran put the skeptic's point of view first. Yvette, the quirky guide of the show, was a spunky blonde with sparkling blue eyes, and David, the medium. He was a bit portly, his dark blonde-brown hair was in it's usual do. 

"This is Ms. Blackman," Stuart announced grandly. "Straight from America and what we've heard was a highly successful ghost hunt." 

Sienna exchanged hand shakes with everyone and politely returned their greetings. She asked them if they had any questions of her and replied to them all. 

"What we want to know most of is what happened on your last investigation?" Karl asked eagerly. Sienna smiled at him.

"We're taping this bit so we can show it later as we get into place for the evening." Yvette told her as the soundman fitted her with a mike. 

"All right. You want the whole story?" she teased. 

"Of course!" they all said in unison. 

" Right. Well, I've been with a paranormal group for almost ten years now. My friend, Ruby Harrison, contacted me because of a house that was supposedly haunted house. She's in real estate and it was a bother for her to try to sell-the reputation of that place was pretty bad. I was traveling at the time, but fortunately, I wasn't too far out of cell phone range. So, with my friends with me, we spent a weekend at the mansion." 

"Can we have the details?" Ciaran leaned in forward. 

"Yes. The first night, something woke me up in the room behind the library. All the bedrooms were being renovated and we had to bunk down there on uncomfy chaise lounges. Anyway, I still don't know exactly why I was awakened then, but I went out into the library with my friend Sarah, and we saw a mist up on a chandelier. I addressed it in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, and it came down and solidified for us. I don't know what happened next exactly, but Sarah told me that the ghost drifted right through my body. Apparently I became possessed. When I was back in my right mind, I had led my friends into the family crypt. The spirit separated itself from me and disappeared. I had a huge energy drain because of the ghost, and I suffered attacks of nasty pain. It does that to me, because I'm chronically sick and any kind of energy drain, a rapid one, can be....not good." 

"You're chronically sick?"

"Yes, Ciaran. Ten years...eleven this November 27th. Because of my illness, I have more medical knowledge than other people and I might be able to help out in the medical side, if need be," she added. "The second night we were there, both Sarah and I were victims of accidents." 

"Accidents?" David queried. 

"Yeah. A chandelier fell on her, and a bookcase toppled over on me. I was all right, I woke up later and discovered my two friends had patched up my shallow cuts, but Sarah was a different story. There are reports now and then of an out of body experience and I know she had that happen to her. My two friends, which are powerful psychics in their own right, managed(I know this will sound nuts, but it's what we did) to send such a shock through me that my soul disengaged my body, and I went after Sarah. I got her back, then we scanned the entire house for any kind of interference." Sienna left out where Sarah's Doctor went into her mind and revived her spirit to wake her up. She didn't think, as open minded as the team was, that they would believe that.

"What did you find?" 

"Yvette, we found such rapid fluctuations of EMF, we all were baffled for a few minutes. Then, we remembered that the hauntings had no patterns whatsoever, then did some more research. We found out that the house had an abnormal concentration of negative energy in the front hallway. We diagnosed that as a vortex, and rigged up some haphazard way of disentegrating it. Since vortexes have a negative energy concentration, and they open up only whenever they feel like it during the night, we ran a cable from our equipment right into the vortex when it opened up. I threw the switch and the positive energy overwhelmed the negative. It was enough positive to destabilize the negative and to cancel it out, basically." 

"Very enterprising," Ciaran commented. "What was this equipment, do you remember?"

The sonic screwdriver was about to escape her, but she paused for a moment. "Nope, I'm sorry, I don't. I've been distracted." 

"That's all right. We researched the house online and discovered your friend closed on the house about a few days after your team were there." 

"What have you been doing lately?" Yvette adjusted her earpiece. "I heard you have been traveling for almost a year now." 

"I love to travel," Sienna didn't see any reason to lie. "Actually, I just had a set of twins two months ago." 

****

"You did!" Yvette exclaimed. "Congrats!" 

"Wait a moment, Yvette," David interrupted her. "Something befell them, didn't it? Something drastic." 

"Drastic? No, it simply turned out that because of the immunosuppressant drug I'm on, the kids got a congenital birth defect from me and died after they were born. That's all." 

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Yvette put a friendly hand on Sienna's shoulder. "You poor girl." 

Sienna looked around at them all, seeing expressions of pity. She hated pity, thought it was masking indifference towards a situation. There was no sense in feeling sorry for another person, she thought. Time to get up and start the show. 

"No pity, guys," she announced, standing up. "For whatever reason, my children were taken from me, it's all part of God's plan. I will see them again someday." 

"Right on," David rose with her. "I think it's time to start the show. If you go with Yvette, Sienna, she'll show you makeup and hair." 

"I did my own, thanks." she checked herself in a small mirror over the fireplace mantelpiece. 

"Thinking ahead," Karl commented. "Smart girl. This your first time on a live TV show?" 

"Yeah. Sarah helped me with my makeup and I dyed my hair." she answered. 

"We're all needed at the front of the castle for the introduction to the live show." Karl ushered them in front of the big wooden door. 

Arranging themselves with Ciaran and David at the back, Yvette at the front, the cameras began to roll. It was twilight, a pretty color of blue that Sienna had always liked. 

"Hello and welcome to Most Haunted Live," Yvette began. "Tonight we're at Matheson Castle, a place rife with spirit activity. The entire crew is already inside, setting up for the night vision walkabout. Everyone watching is given a real treat tonight as we have a special guest paranormal investigator, fresh from America, Ms. Sienna Blackman." 

The camera panned out a bit to reveal Sienna standing in shot beside Yvette and in front of Ciaran. Sienna stood calmly, hands at her sides, reminding herself to look at Yvette and not at the camera as she answered questions. David and Ciaran looked at her, captive audience as Yvette welcomed Sienna officially. 

"Welcome, Sienna." 

"Thank you, Yvette." 

"We didn't see you arrive when we were out with the crew, did you get a chance to review the castle history?" 

"I did, actually. This history really fascinates me and I'm looking forward to tonight in a scientific way." 

"Glad to hear it. You told us a little about your investigation before this one, we taped it and we will be playing it in a minute while we go and relocate for the opening vigil. Now Sienna here also doubles from a medical standpoint, she's seen many investigations and can help us out if one of us feels ill or anything like that." 

"That's right." 

Yvette asked Ciaran and David what they thought, how they felt, and what they hoped for most that night. After that, she turned and they switched to night vision as the tape of the interview done earlier began to roll. Sienna stuck close by to Karl, there was something about him that she instantly liked. He had a daughter, and perhaps he was looking out for Sienna in the same way. Stuart also seemed protective of her, but maybe that was because she was the newcomer. Once in the main room, they brought the audience back in as they began the first vigil. 

"Is there anybody here?" Yvette blinked and looked around. Sienna slowly opened up her own mental door and began to mentally assess the room. She wasn't a medium like David, but she could sense any abnormalities in the atmosphere, detecting any kind of emotional psychic residue. David coughed a few times and she opened up her eyes. 

"OK?" 

"Not really, my heart's going like mad." he admitted.

"You know how to take a pulse, Ciaran?"

"Yep," he did so. " 100." 

"That is high for just standing around," Sienna frowned. "Are you sick? Do you have a cold?" 

"Yes." 

"Did you take cold meds before you came here?"

"Yes." 

"You guys do any other live show last night?" 

"Nope." 

"Well, diagnosis is easy now." 

"Sienna the medical girl at work!" Yvette said into Wigan's camera. 

Sienna smiled absently. "Stress or anticipation of the unknown could raise the heart rate a wee bit. In your case, a lot of cold meds can raise up the blood pressure a significant amount. If this keeps up much longer, which it shouldn't, we'll have to make you sit down and take five." 

"What?"

"American saying. Take five, ten, etc, means to take a break for five or ten minutes." she retreated back into the circle and proceeded to mentally scan the room again. After a few minutes, Sienna looked at David, who's eyes were closed. Karl and Stuart on either side of Sienna, looked around furtively. Cath stood with Yvette and Ciaran, looking around with uncertainty. Yvette and David alternately began to call out. David reported he felt the spirit of an angry female wielding a knife, named Marion Matheson. That fit in well with what Sienna had read. Marion was the first lady of the castle that her husband William had built at the end of the fifteenth century. 

Marion had been the driving force of the family, motivating her husband to do things for her. Sienna thought she was the one who wore the pants in the family, but the history she had read, Marion was a person who dabbled in the occult. She could literally raise holy hell, and the husband knew nothing about it. 

"She's in front of me now, shaking a bloody knife and me and telling me to get all of you out of her home." David reported. 

"Why does she want us out?" 

"It's her home, she keeps telling me this. Perhaps she doesn't want us to enter the center room of the castle." the center room was where she reportedly spent many hours practicing black magic spells with her cronies. Sienna let out an involuntary gasp as the astral angry spirit brushed against her arm. A wave of anger blinded her for a moment, then she looked up as the anger disappeared. 

"Sienna, what was that?" 

"It was Marion. I can feel the emotions that any room might have, David. I can't sense astrals and their emotions like you." 

"So you can pick up on emotional psychic residue?" 

"Yeah. Marion's energy just brushed my arm and it was a literal blinding red rage I felt for a moment there." she shuddered. 

"Oop, light anomaly there, just in front of you, Ciaran." Wigan spoke up. 

Ciaran brandished his EMF meter in one hand and began to take careful checks of the room. 

****

"Any other spirits, David?" 

"Not at the moment, no. Marion, I feel, is going to be quite...malicious towards us tonight. She's not truly evil, but she's not nice, either." they moved into several rooms, checking them out for a few minutes. David spoke of the first man of the house, Stewart Matheson. He described Stewart as a man with a weak will, easily dominated. That also fit in with the history Sienna knew. 

"He just...drifted through life, only pushed by Marion for him to do her bidding. He had no will of his own, no ambition, nothing." David walked into a bedroom. Sienna sat on a bed, looking at the window with a lazy glance. Karl and Stuart were standing near David and Yvette, Ciaran and Cath were over in the far corner, checking out readings. David closed his eyes, getting more information, when Sienna and Cath both looked at the window. They stared for a few moments, looked away, and when they looked back, they saw a lady's face staring back at them with a malevolent look on her face. 

Cath screamed, Sienna jumped and nearly tripped over David. He grabbed her shoulders to prevent her from falling. She kept repeating, "Oh my God." over and over until he finally managed to persuade her to tell him what they had seen. Sienna put her hands up and shot a glance at the window again, which had no face once more. 

"I saw it, David," Cath trembled. "We both saw it." 

"What? What was it?" Yvette spoke up. 

Sienna gave herself a mental smack in the face. Cath was stammering, unable to form a sentence. 

"Sienna?" 

"Oh, damn," she swore, raking her hair back from her eyes. "It was a lady's face looking back at us from that very window." 

Ciaran immediately ran his equipment over it, detecting a small temperature differential. David released his grip on Sienna's shoulders, and they went to another vigil up on the top floor. 

"What is the atmosphere in here, David?" Yvette opened up the attic door and filed into the room. Sienna and David stood at opposite sides, Karl and Stuart stood at either side of Sienna, with Cath beside Yvette. David stood with his back to the window overlooking the house driveway. The night vision camera which Wigan was manning, flickered and went out. He cursed while Yvette talked to Paul, the host, in the studio. Sienna helped Wigan lower his camera and look at it, shining her flashlight into it. Wigan pulled out his Leatherman tool and loosened the screws on the plastic casing. 

"Paul's got the crew switching from the live feed over to the webcam in here." Yvette told them, shining a flashlight in the webcam's direction. A small box sat atop the attic window, the little red light on. Wigan replaced the small lightbulb that had suddenly blown out, made sure the camera worked, put it back together, then turned it on. 

"Can you see us now?" Yvette grinned unsteadily. "We just had a lightbulb blow out for no reason. The bulb would have been hot and we would have heard a hissing sound if it overheated. I can't explain it. Ciaran?"

The psychologist shook his head. "The filaments in the bulb must have overheated by accident and it popped." 

Sienna said nothing as they continued on, calling out in turn to have a spirit appear. After a few minutes, Yvette suggested setting up an Ouija board and using the glass divination technique to try to get answers. Sitting around with Ciaran and Wigan in the background, they began to put their fingers on the glass and ask questions. 

"What is your name?" the glass slid around, spelling out M-A-R-I-O-N. Sienna looked at her new friends with a twinge of apprehension. 

"Do you mean us harm?" David had performed the usual protection before they had set up, they were at a slightly reduced risk because of it. Karl glanced over at the doorway, then shifted his gaze to the glass sliding around.

"Yes. OK, Marion means us harm," Yvette exhaled slowly. "Why is it they always mean us harm when we ask?" 

"Conditioned response?" Ciaran suggested. "The ghosts don't know us at all, even if we say we don't mean them harm, they won't believe us." 

"How on earth could we harm an astral being?" Stuart gave off a little snort.

"Just being on the property they once resided in could be traumatic for a spirit," David answered. "We could do damage to things they once loved in life and therefore....they might never be able to cross over." 

Karl ignored David's rather cryptic response and stared at the glass as Yvette racked her brain for another question. To his surprise, Sienna took over. 

"Do you mean me harm?" 

Y-E-S.

"Do you know I'm Scottish and my heritage is in the Matheson clan?"

Y-E-S. 

"So why would you want to harm me, one of your descendants?"

F-U-N. 

"Oh, nice," she grunted in disgust. "I bet that's it. Marion's so bored here and now we're in the castle, she wants to harm us for fun! Fan freakin' tastic!" 

"Oh my God!" Stuart jumped and pointed towards the door. "Look at that!" 

"What, Stuart?" everyone looked in his direction, seeing nothing.

"I saw like, a black mist coming up into the doorway and entering this room." 

Ciaran ran his EMF meter over it, surprised when the meter shrilled in alarm. "Levels astronomically high right here," he reported. "Several times the baseline readings that I took earlier on this evening." 

"Interesting," Sienna mused. "This could be big, if you can't find a reason for those levels to peak, Ciaran. I've not experienced something like this." 

David had put himself into a trance, his eyes closed. Yvette watched him closely for a moment, then turned to Sienna, asking her about her experience a little more. Paul contacted Yvette to say they had to go to a break, then they relaxed for a moment. Karl got up and paced around without knowing why, as Ciaran surveyed the room some more. Stuart sat down on the floor away from the Ouija board, on an old gym mat. The musty smell of old vinyl was prominent as everyone milled around, on hold with the investigation as the commercial went on. 

"David?" Yvette looked at him curiously as he seemed to go deeper into the trance.

His voice sounded very faint, very far away. "I'm all right." 

"No you're not," Sienna's voice was sharp. "I can tell. Marion's trying to take you over, isn't she?" 

"Yes." he admitted, his voice even fainter. 

"She's winning. Your voice is fading out pretty rapidly." 

David didn't affirm what she said, but everyone knew she was right. Sienna drew up a chair, pushed the board out of the way, then sat down directly in front of David. Stretching her hands and arms, she pulled David's hands from his sides so they were in his lap. The team watched, mystified as Sienna exhaled slowly, closed her eyes, then linked her fingers with his, entering a trancelike state as well.

"Sienna, what?" Yvette began to ask, but Karl shushed her.

"I have a feeling she can get him out of this bind." 

"David has his own way, he may not appreciate it." 

"Even so, Sienna wants to protect him." Karl was touched in his heart about Sienna's concern for David. 

Karl had begun to develop an affection for Sienna, like he would a younger sister. He was watching out for her, keeping his eye on her constantly. She was new to the team, so he felt, as a member, to look after her. 

"Paul, it looks like Sienna is helping David out. Marion keeps trying to take over him, he can't keep fighting her off, she's very persistant. So, Sienna is giving him a hand." Yvette narrated as Wigan zoomed in a bit to focus on Sienna and David. 

A few minutes passed, then David opened up his eyes, looking at Sienna. She did the same, measuring him up with her eyes. She had been around boys and men long enough to know that he would be embarrassed in his moment of weakness, he might remonstrate with her. Wanting to avoid conflict, Sienna calmly detached her fingers from his, and with a gentle look in his direction, she got up and walked away. 

****

"What was that, Sienna? Explain for the people at home." Yvette reminded her. 

Sienna faced the camera. "Marion the spirit is pretty powerful. She kept trying to take David over and he kept fighting her back. I could sense his energy was being zapped, so I decided to step in and give him a hand. Marion tried to take me over, but I managed to link my energy with David's, and we shook her off of us." 

"David, is Marion still around?" 

"She's not in the room with us, her spiritual energy was temporarily drained. She'll regain it back and come to get us, I'm sure." he spoke quietly, his voice at normal strength again. 

"Well, we should head into the basement then. The audience really wants us to get in there and hold a vigil," Yvette shuddered. " I'm not too thrilled about basements, especially in deep castles like this." 

"I'll go alone," Sienna spoke up to everyone's surprise. "My mental aura will afford me protection, and my faith will also help in that respect." 

"Aren't you afraid?" Stuart inquired, looking at her in a sideways fashion. 

"I know if I'm not now, I will be," she sheepishly grinned. "But remember, I've done this kind of thing before. Just set me up, I'll be on my way." 

"All right." they armed her with a nightvision camera, while David gave her protection. While the program was on commercial and the interactive segment, Sienna journeyed down to the cellar, ready for her vigil. 

As the team separated, Sienna went downstairs, the rest went out into the long disused old rustic stable where the stablehands kept the horses and buggies. They clustered all around the center of the stalls, still stinking of old rancid hay. It had dust by the foot, cobwebs in the beams, and the wood was ancient. Many of the beams and partitions had rotted and crumbled through. 

Ciaran closed the door gently, then joined the rest of the team in the center. David plucked at his coat nervously, letting out a small cough from his cold. Karl and Stuart seemed subdued, Cath stood silently as Wigan filmed away on the camera. Yvette looked into the camera and announced where they were. 

"We're out here in the stable, Paul. We all feel absolutely fine, maybe a bit nervous after the attic. Sienna went off on her own in the cellar, she's got a radio if she needs us. David, what do you think may happen to her?" 

The medium bit his lip nervously as Wigan put the camera on him. Putting his hands in his jacket pockets, he tried to project a neutral attitude.

"In all honesty Yvette, I'm worried about her. You know Marion's still roaming the house and Sienna's already made a bad impression on her. She can defend herself, but I worry about whether or not she has enough strength to do it with, after last time." 

"Right. We forget that though Sienna's new to this team, she's not new to this type of thing. She's led her own team for a long time and seen many things. But, each investigation is different. Now, shall we try calling out?" 

"All right." they spent twenty minutes calling out and recieving knocks to answer their yes or no questions.

"Are you Stewart Matheson? Twice for yes, once for no." 

Two knocks.

"Is Marion after our friend Sienna?" Karl shot David an anxious look.

Two knocks.

"Did Marion become violent with you if she didn't get her way?" Stuart rubbed his bald head.

Two knocks.

At the same time, Sienna put the night vision camera on a stool, sitting on the floor. She was sitting on the ground, making sure she was in shot of the camera. Putting her arms around her knees and drawing them up, she assumed a careless demeanor, hoping to pass herself off to any spirits as casual and unassuming. The investigator didn't speak much, she tilted her head against the smooth cement wall and closed her eyes, letting her mental mind scan the area. 

"So, I'm here by myself, the team's on vigil in the stables. I've done this kind of silent vigil before many times, and nothing really has ever happened to me. It seems like when we're all together, stuff happens. Maybe it's because so many different types of mental auras and personalities which some spirits are attracted to. I don't know for sure, but it appears to be a theory. Maybe I'll talk to Ciaran about it. It is psychological in nature, as far as I'm concerned." she leaned against the cool wall, letting her legs slide down. 

"Anybody here?" she asked in a singsong voice. "Come on, sneak right up behind me or something. If you wanna scare me, I'm open!" 

"Sienna?" her earpiece she had been loaned came alive with the host's voice. 

"Yeah, Paul?" 

"Before we go to a break, I would like to ask, how did you learn how to do that mind stuff you did with David?" 

"You mean force Marion out?" 

"Yes." 

"My friends who are watching tonight trained me some on mental energy. Two of them are self styled experts and I learned a lot." 

"Are they mediums?" 

"No, they're not. They learned from experts who's names escape me, and taught me. They're the best." 

"Now we must go to a break. Stay sharp, Sienna." 

"Thanks, Paul." a clatter sounded in the far corner of the room. Sienna picked up her camera and aimed it in that direction. A light anomaly or an orb fluttered lazily on the viewfinder, zigzagging once and heading up towards the ceiling. Sienna blinked, then looked into the viewfinder again. A very faint gray mist was starting to appear near her and appeared to move towards her. 

Frozen to her position, she watched, the camera lay forgotten on the stool. The mist faded out, leaving the room like it was before. Sienna was just exhaling a sigh of relief when suddenly, she was hiked up and thrown across the room. She just barely managed to avoid hitting her head, getting back to her camera. 

"Odd. I've just been picked up and thrown across the room." was all she said, looking around. Before Sienna could alert the rest of the team, she heard a faint whistling noise, then felt a hot sensation on her chest. She pulled her shirt down a little bit and gasped. Three long slashes were apparent, from her right side. They were bleeding sluggishly, slowly dripping down on to her shirt. She pulled out a few tissues and began to mop the blood off, when something pushed her down on the floor, causing her to hit her head on the stool where the camera was.

"Ow, damnit." she swore, looking at the camera. Sienna's hands, numb from the coldness in the room, groped, found the radio, then pressed the talk button. 

"Yvette..." 

"Sienna, are you okay?" 

"No. I think it's best if you all come right away." 

"What happened?" 

"David can probably tell you......." dazed, Sienna had to let herself slip into blackness. As she closed her eyes, she saw that same lady's face she had seen earlier in the mirror. Yvette and David were calling her name, but she ignored it and submitted, passing out. 

"David, what do you think has happened to her?" 

"Yvette, Marion has struck. Sienna's her first victim, but it feels like this is only the beginning." 

"Meaning she'll come after us?" they began to hustle down into the cellar.

"It is very possible." 

****

"What's that?" David stooped to see a bloody tissue. "Sienna!" he barked out, shining his flashlight into one corner of the room, seeing a still form. 

"Oh my GOD!" Yvette cried. "Sienna! Come on!" they rushed over to Sienna's side, Karl grabbing the camera and rewinding it to see the footage of what it might have caught. Stuart knelt down, unsure of how to help, as Cath raced out to get a medic. David looked down at Sienna's form, moving away as Karl started to examine her. 

"Something cut her," he growled, displaying the cuts. "Nothing's broken, but she'll be sore. Sienna's got some black and blue bruises I know weren't there before." 

"Oh, God," Yvette muttered, pressing her hand to her earpiece. "Paul, we've got a situation here. We're gonna cut back to you in the studio for interactive and then we'll pick it up after that. Is that all right?" 

"Fine, Yvette." Paul answered her.

"Good," she knelt down with Karl, passing him a first aid kit. "Nasty spirit. David, can you try to tell us what the hell Marion was thinking when she attacked our friend?"

David noticed Yvette called Sienna a friend instead of teammate or team member. He looked down at Sienna's face and closed his eyes, taking her non-bloody hand. Images came into his mind then, he tried to make sense of them all as Karl cleaned up the blood and bandaged Sienna's cuts. He propped her up, prying open her eyelid and studying her pupil under a flashlight. Her normal eye response was fine, he threw away the bandage packaging and stayed with Sienna. David concentrated hard, then clearly saw Marion in his mind's eye and she definetly looked pissed.

"Back from the break. David, can you tell us what happened here? Will Marion tell you?"

The medium opened up his eyes and looked disgusted. "She's bragging about it, Yvette. Marion just kicked Sienna around for the fun of it, like she knew she would." 

"Did she mean to kill Sienna, or was this just payback for helping you fend her off earlier?" Stuart questioned. 

David exhaled, mentally putting the question to Marion. "Most likely, that's what it was, Stuart. I could sense that Marion was rebuilding her energy and something was going to happen sooner or later. Sienna knew that, of course," he added.   
"She's no stranger to angry spirits and what happened happened." 

A weak groan issued from Karl's arms. Sienna blinked her eyes open and gazed up at him. He looked down at her, a smile emitting from his lips. The entire team crowded around her and Wigan shined the camera a few feet from her face. Sienna looked up into it and grinned.

"Takes a lot more than that to bring me down!" she announced. The team hesitatingly looked at each other, knowing she was overcompensating for the viewers in the studio and at home. Karl assisted her in standing up, where she leaned against the wall and regained her bearings before looking at the others. They unanimously agreed to relocate out in the front foyer. Sienna, flanked by Karl and Stuart on either side of her, went up the stairs and sat down on the chair near the big wooden door. 

"Is anyone here?" Yvette asked. A faint rumbling sound started up, the earth seemed to shake right underneath their feet. Karl put a hand on Sienna's shoulder, steadying her. "What the freak is going on?" 

"Have no idea," Sienna opened up the door and peered out. "Let me have a look around the grounds. Be right back." 

"David, is Marion still around? Did she cause that?" 

"Cath, Marion is receding quite fast," he told her. "Something's coming through that has even her spooked. I have no idea what's going on now." 

Sienna wandered outside for a moment, then paused as she heard some faint words being uttered. Briefly, she thought of Torchwood and the whole Canary Wharf fiasco, ending with the wreck of Torchwood towers. 

"Why am I thinking of Torchwood at a time like this?" she clucked, looking around again. 

Something made her turn around a pause, tuning her mental senses towards the woods. The words were uttered again, and she heard them quite clearly.

"EXTERMINATE!" 

"Oh my fucking GOD!" she exploded, pulling out her cell phone and quick dialing the Doctor. She put her phone to her ear and waited impatiently. 

The younger Doctor, brown eyes flashing as he watched the TV, fumbled in his phone and clicked it on. Sarah and her Doctor were stretched out on a vinyl green couch, feet up on the small coffee table, watching the team conduct their vigil. 

"Sienna?" 

"Doctor, we have a problem here." Sienna spied a light moving through the darkness. 

"You're the expert out there, not us." he grinned, picking up a jelly baby. 

"No, you're the expert with this one!" she shot back.

"OK, what is it?" 

"Daleks." 

"Daleks? You think they're around, trying to cause trouble on Halloween?"

"Doctor!" Sienna exploded. "This is the night when the veil between the worlds is the thinnest! This night is when they can come easily through!" 

"You're right," the Doctor glanced at the older Doctor and Sarah. "We've apparently got a Dalek problem." 

"Oh, no." Sarah moaned.

"Well, what do I do? They're frickin' invincible in their little....things!" 

"Right," he leaned forward from the couch. "Listen to me, Sienna. You need to wrap up this investigation as quickly as possible. Remind them of Torchwood and Canary Wharf, get them into a safe place. I need you to bait the Dalek and draw it away from the earth." 

"How would I do that?" 

"Dalek virus," he remembered. "I have a canister of it from the Movellans. Lure the Dalek near the TARDIS where we will be, then I'll manage to get the Dalek infected. It'll retreat and then hopefully, earth will be safe." 

"The Dalek is blundering around like crazy. Maybe I can talk to it or something, get it to retreat. If we use the virus on it, the others might want to come through and start, well, exterminating us." 

"I don't like that thought of you doing that by yourself." 

"Doctor, I don't want to use...chemical warfare or anything like that. I know they have no conscience. If either of you showed up, it would recognize you as the Doctor, their enemy," she pleaded. " Let me try." 

"You could try, but I don't want you to die." 

"I won't." she rang off and began to track down the Dalek. The clumsy alien was bashing against trees, eyestalk moving up and down almost comically. Sienna leaned against a tree and looked at it until the eyestalk moved and took in her. She made no advance, leaning there with her arms folded.

"YOU HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH THE DOCTOR." it proclaimed, and shot her.

****

"No!" Sienna cried out. " Oh my God!" 

"Sienna, easy!" 

"It killed me! That little-" 

"We're on TV, remember." Yvette's voice filtered through to her. Sienna snapped open her eyes and found she was lying on a bed in a bedroom. The group was sitting around a table, doing a glass divination with an Ouija Board. Karl was right beside her, restraining her gently. Now that he saw she was fully alert, he removed his hands and watched her warily as she sat up. 

"What happened?" 

"I'm not surprised you don't remember," Karl spoke. "You were attacked in the basement. After you went outside to check things out, you came back a very different person." 

"I..." 

"You became possessed, Sienna," David's calm tone informed her. "With Marion's essence. You became very violent with us. She used you and tried to extract some kind of revenge, but we managed to drive her out of you." 

"How?" 

"Marion practiced the dark arts, remember?"

"Yes." 

"So we repeated the Lord's prayer and kept it up until she retreated. Playing in the dark arts and satanism, she couldn't stand to hear anything from the Bible at all. You were completely drained by then and as she separated from you, you collapsed completely." 

"I just barely managed to catch you." Karl gave her an affectionate hug. 

"So, we decided to wrap everything up with the closing seance," Stuart piped up. "We're just about to close right now." 

After the seance ended, they all began the process of going home. Karl and Yvette thanked Sienna and said they might ask her again to accompany them on a live or taped investigation. Sienna responded happily that she would be able to, and they left. David took Sienna aside and sat down with her, as the two Doctors and Sarah waited in the TARDIS nearby.

"You have a very open mind, Sienna, and that will do you a lot of good. I managed to read a bit of your aura after you collapsed. I know you have suffered a lot in your lifetime, and I also know your present happiness equals your past misery." 

"Yeah?" 

"I just feel like I've met you before," she gave him an odd look. Sienna had often dreamed about investigating with the team, but she had certainly never met any face to face before that night. "In a past life. I would like to try to past life regress you by hypnotizing. What do you think?"

"I don't have any faith in this past life thing, David. I think it's just the mind, spinning something into a semblance of another life." 

"Maybe I can help you to change your mind about that. May I try?" 

"It won't hurt to try, no. I just need to recuperate after being possessed. Can I give you a call tomorrow about all this and when to set it up?" 

"You can do that. Here's my home phone. I look forward to it. Good night." he left. Sienna pocketed his number and strode for the TARDIS. 

"You look awful pale," her Doctor studied her under the bright light. "A good night's sleep is what you need." 

"Doctor, I've been mentally assaulted. I need more than sleep." her eyelids drooped as the Doctors met eyes over the console. Sienna's Doctor took her by the arm, marched her past her room and down the hall. They stopped at a pair of double doors.

"What's this?"

He opened them up. "The zero room. This helps me in my more traumatic regenerations. It's a healing atmosphere, Sienna. A good night's sleep in here will enhance your mental healing and leave you feeling much better." 

"Sounds good." she settled down on the cot in the corner.

"You'll be levitating soon," the Doctor pulled the covers up. "That indicates the room is working and healing you." 

"Thanks, Doctor." she closed her eyes. He had overheard the part of the conversation about past life regression, and he was curious to see how it was done. The TARDIS was staying put, except to go to where David lived. The older Doctor input the coordinates, and the TARDIS behaved for him, taking then exactly where they needed to go. Sarah was already asleep, and he knew he was about to turn in as well. 

The following morning, the Doctors and Sarah were up and about when Sienna came in, dressed in her bootcut jeans, sneakers, a purple flowered shirt, and a woolen brown cardigan. She pulled out her cell, contacted David, and was given the go ahead by him. 

"Anyone want to come with?"

Her Doctor shrugged. "I've seen the past life regression business before, Sienna. Well, I've lived it several times through." he grinned at his former self. 

"I'll go with you, Sienna." Sarah stood up and walked out with her friend. Wearing a dark denim skirt, knee high boots, and pink mohair sweater under a jean jacket, Sarah blended in perfectly with the twenty first century crowd. They walked over into the apartment complex, went up to the correct floor, then found his apartment number. He answered after a few knocks, shooing aside a Siamese cat with one leg.

"Come on, Jewel," he scolded the cat. "You know better." 

"I like cats," Sienna looked down at the animal, who was rubbing herself against her legs. "She's friendly, I take it?" 

"Yeah. You can pick her up if you want to." 

Sienna did so, grinning as the cat nudged with her head under Sienna's chin. "The chin bump thing! When I worked in an animal shelter, the chin bump thing was always a plus. Oh, this is my friend, Sarah Jane." 

"Hello, Sarah Jane." David shook hands with her. 

"Come right this way. I think you'll find this an interesting process." 

Sarah sat in a rocking chair while David and Sienna sat at opposite ends on his couch. Jewel was joined by another Siamese, Mikey. Despite her housemate showing up, Jewel had no intention of leaving Sienna. The headstroking and ear rubbing were too much, as she squinched up her eyes and let out a loud purring sound. David observed the investigator keenly, her mental aura radiated contentment. Jewel rubbed at Sienna's hand when it paused, then began the scratching again. Mikey, deciding he'd had enough, went up into Sarah's lap, where he recieved the same treatment. The two cats' purring became audible throughout the room. 

"When did you work in an animal shelter?"

"Four years, right out of high school. I worked with cats and small animals." 

"Great. Have any funny stories to share?" 

"Plenty! I was cleaning out rabbit cages, one was very hungry, so she leaped into the pellet bin, and when I found her, she was sitting on the pellets, chewing away, looking like a princess. A hamster launched itself at me that had been missing for two days! I have seen guinea pigs do pull ups right out of the little runaround pen and get lost behind the fridge. My friend Ruby has two cats, one's named Salem. He's a fatass, so I find him mooning me all the time. Salem thinks he's all that, and the other cat beats him up when he gets too...amorous." 

"Oh, I had a cat named Salem once," David's expression turned cloudy. "Kitty leukemia and I had to have him put down." 

"My cat had the same thing." she looked at him sympathetically. 

"Oh. Well, I worked through my stages of grief. But listen to me, I know you told me last night you just lost your twin children." 

"Yes. Sarah lost hers too. We both had some kind of disease that affected them." 

"I'm sorry. For both of you," he gave Sarah an apologetic glance. "It's never an easy thing, whether you lose a loved one, or a pet." 

"Same thing. But tell me, how does this work?" Sarah asked him. "Past life regression?" 

"It's all in the stages of consciousness," David explained. "I hypnotize Sienna here so her subconscious is more...accessible, then I begin a mental link. I'll read what has come to the front of the subconscious." 

"All right. I just want to observe, if that's okay." with Mikey under her hand, Sarah leaned back to watch.

"That's great. Now, Sienna," he turned to her. "Lie down. This will help hypnotize you more easily if you're relaxed." 

"OK." Jewel was shooed off her lap as Sienna settled in. David sat on the edge of the couch, taking her hands in his, providing the physical link that he needed to read her subconscious mind.

"It'll be very quiet, Sarah," he warned her. "I'll be taking in all the images from her mind, and there's no talking involved with this." 

"It's OK." 

"All right." David proceeded to hypnotize Sienna the way the Doctors have had to do to them both at times. Sienna's eyes closed, her conscious mind was receding, and her subconscious emerged at the forefront. David closed his eyes and began to take in the information her mind was giving him. 

It was a long time for Sarah to wait. Sienna, her conscious mind asleep, David, looking like he was asleep, just sitting there. In Sarah's mind, it was like he was trying to heal her friend or something like that. She stroked Mikey's fur and the purring started up again. Sarah was trying to introduce Sienna into the joys of sewing and knitting, everything her mother had taught her. Sienna often proved to be difficult to teach, she was an impatient person and didn't like to do one thing for too long. Sewing up simple holes in slacks and shirts was easy enough for her, but stitching together a nine block quilt was too boring. Sienna liked knitting better, she would sit down and work at it until her fingers hurt too much to continue. Sarah was off and on working on a sweater for herself, all Sienna could make at that moment were scarfs. 

Simple six feet long scarfs she knitted religiously, using multicolor yarns. Sienna was using a pattern of medium color blue, white, and black. Sarah scratched Mikey's neck and wondered what Harry Sullivan was up to these days, if he was still around. 

"Wow," David muttered, shaking Sarah from her thoughts. "It's very interesting." 

"What is it?" 

"She and I knew each other in a past life. The most I could get was a colonial establishment somewhere in America and we were good neighbors. She had a family and I didn't." 

"Oh." 

"Sienna, you can wake up now." David gently coaxed her. Her eyes opened up slowly and he told her what he had seen inside her head. It made sense with a dream he'd once had, he'd told her. Sienna inwardly rolled her eyes, she didn't believe in past life, but she humored him. 

As the day drew to a close, David bade them goodbye and told them they could call him anytime. He also hoped that Sienna would attend the December shows live, of which she said she would. The girls entered the TARDIS, telling the Doctors what happened. They didn't recieve much of an answer, beside a rolling of the eyes they both did. Sarah and Sienna went to bed, knowing they'd never forget Halloween 2007.  
END


	22. London Interlude

4/10/Sienna/Sarah

Some Most Haunted members appear, but not for long.

"Well well, Sarah," Sienna chirped. "It appears that we have this hall all to ourselves. Those Doctors of ours won't be back for a bit. Oh, look, a piano!" 

Sarah rolled her eyes as Sienna skipped over to the piano, sat down, then cracked her knuckles a few times. Sarah winced with the sound, striding over to her as she began to play a little tune. Sienna pawed through the available sheet music and selected a piece that she knew.

"What song is it?" 

"It is called Call Me When You're Sober, by my favorite group." Sienna answered, her dark red polished nails clicked on the keys in a sequence. Sarah went over to the other side of the hall, then pushed back a heavy curtain, revealing a hardwood floor and basketball hoop. She went over and pulled out of the open supply closet a rack of basketballs. Sarah, in her green track pants, sneakers, and white t-shirt, began to remember how to practice basketball. Taking a few practice shots, she began to bounce the ball and trying to get it in.

"So don't cry to me  
If you love me  
You would be here with me  
Don't lie to me  
Just get your things  
I've made up your mind." Sienna struck the last note of the song, then stood up. Closing the shelf over the keys, she went over with Sarah, stealing the ball and jumping, trying to make it in, but didn't. 

"Who's showing off now?" Sarah stole back the ball and dodged Sienna, shooting for the hoop and making it in. Sienna pretended to pout, then snatched the ball, making a slam dunk. 

"Thought I'd find you two in here," the older Doctor, scarf cast about his shoulders haphazardly, strode in. "Well, I came to see how you two are getting on, being without your beloved Doctors." 

"We're fine," Sienna tossed another basket and missed, it hit just off the rim. "We can get along without you for a little while, at least." 

The Doctor grinned and dunked his fedora on her head, while draping Sarah in his scarf. "The repairs will take a few hours more before she can fly again. Sienna, are you mobile?" 

"I got my cell phone, yes," she replied. " I trust you're making progress?" 

"Yes, the old girl has needed a bit of a tune up anyway," he admitted. "We'll be in the console room. You two girls, when we're done, we'll ring you and we'll be off again." 

"OK." Sarah flung the scarf back over her Doctor's shoulders with a big smile. Sienna dumped the hat back on him as she picked up the basketball. He left then, giving them a cheeky grin. Sarah and Sienna played Horse until Sarah won it, then both began to change into more suitable window shopping clothes. Sienna, clad in her purple off the shoulder top she liked so well, with bootcut jeans and her sneakers, stepped on to the sidewalk and began to stroll. Sarah, in cammo pants, sneakers, a red sleeveless shirt and denim jacket, strolled into step beside her friend. 

"Sienna," a bald guy ran up to her. She recognized him, Stuart from the show last night. "Hi, how are you doing?"

"Hi, Stuart. Fine, actually. How did the show go over last night?"

"Ratings with you really soared. You're a hit with the viewers. We'd like to ask you back for the December live show." he breathlessly told her. 

Flicking back her brown curly hair, she replied, "Yeah, I would love it. Should your posse call my posse later on with the details?" 

Stuart gave her a grin. "Yeah. There's plenty of time for that later on. About a month and a half, I think. I know Karl and Yvette were mulling over how to invite you, but I just had to ask you in person." 

"Oh. And this is Sarah Jane, my friend. She was with me on the mansion job two months ago." she introduced her friend, realizing she was sounding rude without introductions. Stuart greeted Sarah cordially, then said goodbye to them both.

"Where will you be, I know you said that you travel. Where should we call?"

"My cell phone. It's always on me," she answered. "See you in a month and a half, Stu." 

Two hours of window shopping later, Sarah was trying on a pink and white empire waisted dress. She presented herself to Sienna, who wrinkled her nose in distaste. 

"What?!" Sarah asked. 

"No pink and white, Sarah. I think that green would go best with you. You've got the neutral skin tone, same with your hair and eyes so you can wear about anything, but no pink!" Sienna was immediately lost in the racks, flipping through until she came up with a halter gown that was a light green tone. It had a small narrow ribbon at the sides, to draw it up and tie it at the back. Sarah took it, and grinning, reappeared, asking Sienna to tie up the back. 

Sienna did so, zipping up the back and tying the sash. Sarah stood back, hands on hips, then measuring herself up with her eyes. 

"I love it, Sarah! It's so you!" 

Sarah turned, admiring the way the skirt swished around her legs. "I do like it. Look at the little crocheted lace right here at my...boobs," she flushed a little red when she said that. " Now Sienna, you need a dress." 

"I already have a dress," she protested. "I don't need another one, and the TARDIS wardrobe has many." 

"Those are all out of date, or not even from...here!" Sarah exclaimed. "You look good in dark purples and blues, let me see if I can find something." she flipped through the racks and came up with a dark midnight blue dress that fell to her knees, a deeply plunging neckline, and blue sequins around the waist. 

"Oh boy," Sienna rolled her eyes, but took and put on the dress. " How bad do I look?" the dress fitted her perfectly, the bodice was neat, flattering her figure, there were no shoulders in the dress, yet a small length of tulle hugged her arms just below her shoulders nicely. 

"You look so wonderful!" Sarah clapped her hands and nearly squealed. 

Rolling her eyes, Sienna appraised herself with a doubtful look. "I don't know Sarah, it's just not really me." 

"Oh, but it is," a blonde came up to them. "It's very you, Sienna." 

"Sarah, this is Yvette from last night. Yvette, Sarah." 

The two exchanged hellos and Yvette turned back to Sienna. "That shade of blue just looks so good on you, it shows off all your best features, your legs, your arms.. you have a great figure and sometimes you need to show it off." 

"That's right." Sarah backed her up. 

"OK," Sienna shrugged. "Guess it'll give our pals a start when I dress up in it. I've got enough cash for it, so I guess it's a go!" she and Sarah bought their dresses and were walking back towards the TARDIS when a low rumbling sound alerted them both to look up at the sky. 

"Not another UFO is it, Sarah?" Sienna asked anxiously. 

Sarah scanned the sky. "No," she decided finally. "That's coming from below us!" 

"Oh my god!" Sienna exclaimed as the ground started to shake. The building behind them began to crack and fall apart, raining down showers of debris. Covering up their eyes and faces, the girls stood together, backs pressed against the wall of the crumbling building. As the earthquake progressed, the entire building caved in and collapsed on one side, burying both girls instantly. 

****

"Pass me my sonic screwdriver?" the older Doctor held out his hand, which hung there for a moment before he moved it back. He looked around, then hung his hat up. "I forgot, the girls aren't here to assist us." 

"It's only been a few hours," the younger Doctor shut the top instrument panel. "They're out having fun in London. I admit, they were overdue for it, the girls really needed this day off to unwind from our recent..capers." 

"I know. Shada was really hard on them, and especially after that." 

Both Doctors resumed their work in silence, not wanting to remember Shada, the Krillitanes, and what had transpired after that, landing both the girls in the hospital on Zognoss. But, both girls had bounced back fine from it. The Doctors had worried after them almost nonstop until Sarah politely asked them to give them some space. They needed to cope with it emotionally and physically by themselves first. 

They had been introduced to the function and purpose of the zero room. It was a closed off healing enviornment. The room in the TARDIS would put them into a deep healing sleep and mend their mental state until the zero room thought they were fit again, and gently would wake them up. Sarah had already tried it, asleep and levitating while the room worked on her mental state, while enriching her sleep so she felt better later on. 

"Sarah does seem to like that zero room, doesn't she?" 

"Hmm?" the younger Doctor startled out of his thoughts. "Well, yes. Sienna didn't use it for whatever reason. But she seems all right now, right?"

"Why would you think she's not?" the deep voice sounded from the other end of the console.

"There's always a chance. She's been through so much already and I don't want anything else bad happening." 

Just then, his words were cut off by the rumbling noise and the ground shaking. When it was over, the Doctors went outside to investigate and found a minor earthquake had happened. Residents were milling about casually as if nothing had happened, it was a slight earthquake, only about an 3.8 on the Richter scale. The Doctors, figuring the girls would have called them if something had happened to them, went back inside and worked on the console some more. 

Sarah opened up her eyes, finding bricks and wooden beams had fallen on her, preventing her from moving. Drawing in a shaky breath, she began to cough, expelling the dust that had settled in her lungs.

"Oh God!" she choked out. "Sienna!" 

Sienna was allergic to dust, she remembered. Sarah didn't know how severe the reaction would be, but she knew it would be bad enough. Sarah furiously wiggled free of her entrapment, then rooted around, trying to find her friend. She finally did, Sienna was trapped firmly under a steel girder, her body was wedged down under bricks. No matter how hard Sarah tugged and pulled, she could not free her friend. 

"I'll do the next best thing," she fumbled in Sienna's pocket, digging out Sienna's cell phone. "How do I use this thing?" she flipped it open and found out the phone was already on. Unsure of what to do, she pressed the left button, corresponding with the tab on the LCD screen marked PH BOOK. Using the down button, she navigated the menu, finding the entry DOCTOR, then pressed view. The number came up, along with the subtext PRESS GREEN BUTTON TO CALL. Sarah did so, and to her relief, she heard it ringing.

"Sienna?" 

"Not quite." 

"Sarah! How'd you get her phone?"

"Doctor, did you hear of the earthquake that happened a few minutes ago?" 

"Yeah, we felt it. It was a half an hour ago, Sarah." 

"Really? Felt like a few minutes ago." 

" arah, are you OK?" his voice grew urgent. "Where are you two?"

"I'm fine, Doctor, I really am," she assured him, knowing he wasn't buying it. "It's Sienna. There's a lot of dust here and I know she's allergic to it."

"Oh, Rassilon!" the exclamation was so loud, Sarah had to pull the phone away from her ear. "Quick! Can you get to her?"

"I'm here with her now." 

"Good girl! Check her over for any hives. You know what those are?" 

"Yes I do," she checked over Sienna. "She's got big nasty ones all over her." 

"Right! We're going to get to you right away and dig you both out of this!"

"Doctor," Sarah interrupted him. "How bad could it get?"

"Her allergies? Her trachea could swell up and she could suffocate. The hives are a warning sign, to get her out, or she'll go into anaphylactic shock, like she will go into if she has been stung by a bee." 

"Oh boy. Come as fast as you can, Doctors." 

"Is she alert at all?" 

"Nope." 

"Sweet Rassilon! There in a flash." he rang off, relayed the news to his past incarnation, and both bolted to the scene. 

Sarah tucked the phone away, mopping off some blood from a cut near her left temple. She wasn't a hundred percent fit at the moment, but she ignored her aches and pains until her friend was in the ER and safe. Within minutes, the Doctors were there, barking at everyone they saw to help them move away the debris from the collapsed building.

"Why wasn't this building condemned and torn down!" the older Doctor grunted, heaving away a big rock. About two dozen locals began to dig with them. After another few minutes, Sarah pushed upwards, knocking down a pile of bricks and some sheet metal. She peered out, seeing the Doctors in the opposite direction from her. She waved her hand and shouted, but her voice was so weak, it did not carry out that far.

In a flash of inspiration, she remembered being buried alive in the past. It was that adventure with Eldrad, she'd woken up under five feet of rock, found a stone hand, and screamed loudly. The Doctor had been alerted to where she was by the scream, thus finding her more quickly. Sarah inhaled, then screamed as loudly as she could, ending as she collapsed from the effort. Still alert, she exhaled as the dust was stirred up by her falling, then she went into a long coughing spasm. The bricks, sheet metal, drywall, and shingles were thrown off of her, as her Doctor's anxious face peered in. 

"Thank Rassilon! Sarah," he put his arms around her and brought her up out of the hole. "How are you? Are you hurt anywhere?" he spied the blood near her temple and gently touched it, making her wince. The younger Doctor, brown eyes flashing with anxiety, jumped in where she had been, and began to dig Sienna out. 

"I'm fine, Doctor," he lifted up her hands, inspecting them for scratches. "Really, I am. Now Sienna needs the help. Go to her." 

"He's already on that," the Doctor unwound his long scarf, picked up Sarah's right arm, then fashioned an impromptu sling for it. "There you go, your wrist is sprained." 

"Is it?" she looked down at it. 

"It is," he studied her, concerned. "Sarah, you're ghostly white." 

"Am I?" Sarah sounded listless. "What day is it?" 

"It's November first," he trailed off. "Your skin's clammy, you can't remember...Sarah, you're going into physical shock." 

****

With that proclamation, Sarah blacked out where she stood. The younger Doctor with his companion in his arms, went to the waiting ambulance a citizen had thoughtfully called for them. The older Doctor picked up Sarah, then put her in the ambulance as well. 

"Will they be all right?" a portly brown haired guy asked. The younger Doctor stared at him for a moment, seeming to recognize him, but unable to place his name. 

"I think they both will be," he scratched his head. " My friend's got an allergic reaction to all that dust and if she'd been in there any longer, it would have gotten a lot worse. The other girl will be all right." 

"Can I see Sienna?" 

"In a couple of hours when she's settled in. Call the hospital front desk and they'll let you know." 

"All right, thanks." the guy left. 

By the time the Doctors had gotten there, Sarah and Sienna were in the same room. The doctors had proclaimed them fit, and would be discharged as soon as they had awakened. Sienna had taken a small knock to the head, plus the allergic reaction to the dust. Sarah had minor cuts and scrapes, a sprained wrist, and a mild case of physical shock. They were all loaded up with drugs and solutions, Sarah's wrist was bandaged, Sienna was given medicine to reduce the hives, which had gone down almost immediately after treatment.

"Fantastic!" the younger Doctor exclaimed. "Come on Sarah and Sienna, time to get up and go." 

But the girls remained as they were for an hour. Gradually, Sarah began to wake up first. She was assisted by her Doctor, she washed up, put her clothes back on, then they headed out to get her discharged. 

The man the Doctor had spoken to on the street earlier knocked on the entranceway to the room, then approached at the Doctor's beckoning. He stood near Sienna's side, looking down at her. 

"I'm sorry, you look familiar to me, I just can't place your name." 

"I was the medium last night on the show. David." 

"Oh, right! Well David, nice to meet you. Sienna's my traveling companion and we go everywhere together." 

"Fabulous. I heard she will join us on our December live show. She's really something, very popular with viewers, even with this one TV appearance she's done." 

The Doctor's hearts seemed to flip inside of him. "I bet." 

"She is," David took her limp hand. " Are you one of the people she said taught her about psychic abilities?" 

"Yes I am." 

"Wonderful. May I ask where you picked up on it?" 

"Ohhhh here and there. I picked up some from a Tibetan monk, some of that." 

"Great. Oh, I think she's starting to come around." sure enough, her eyelids blinked, and she focused on her Doctor. 

"Doctor!" she exclaimed weakly, recieving a bear hug from him. "Oh god, I was so afraid down there. I was convinced for awhile that I was gonna die." 

"You never were," he consoled her. "Never." 

"I know, but in those situations, the mind runs away with me and then I started breaking out in hives. My mind sorta forced me into blackness where the imagination and dreams just go nuts." 

"Traumatic situation will do that to you." David spoke up. 

"Oh, hi, David." she looked up at him. 

"Yvette and the rest would like to invite you to join the team full time," his eyes sparkled. "I would welcome it, very much." 

"If you want to go, it's all right," the Doctor piped in. "I wouldn't mind." 

Sienna could read the false cheerfulness in his tone. "I'm sorry David, but I want to keep on traveling with my friends. I would like to do the live shows though. It'd be a blast." 

David grinned. "We're all looking forward to it, Sienna. We will contact you with all the details later on. Glad to see you're doing better, so I'll see you in December. Have fun and be safe." he left.

In the TARDIS that night, chugging in the vortex, Sienna was asleep in her room. The door opened up and her Doctor stepped in. He hung there for a moment, then sat down on the edge of her bed, studying her asleep face before she shifted position, lying close to him. The Doctor brushed her hair back from her face, revealing a small white bandage on her neck. Sienna stirred at the touch, then her eyes opened up. 

"Doctor." 

"Shhh. Go back to sleep." 

"You're mad at me, aren't you?" 

"What?!" 

She sat up, leveling her brown eyed stare at him. "You think I don't know? You've been distant towards me ever since we came back inside the TARDIS! You think I should have accepted the offer." 

"Well, yes I do!" he said loudly. "It was a great chance for you, Sienna, and you passed it up!" 

"Oh, Doctor. Quite plainly, you don't understand that traveling with you brings me bigger adventures than even the most haunted house ever," he brown eyes shone with affection for him. Taken aback, he took a minute to absorb what she had said to him. "I wouldn't trade you, your other self, Sarah, or this TARDIS for all the fame and fortune the world has to offer me. Do you understand what the word affection is?" 

"Sometimes I forget." 

"Sometimes?" 

"OK, OK!" he gave her an exhausted grin. "You say all this travel, near death experiences, serious injuries, unknown diseases, and constant TARDIS breakdowns you prefer over ghost hunting one location every couple of days?" 

"Very succinct, Doctor. But yeah. The atmosphere of here, your manic energy, Sarah, your other self, I wouldn't trade that for anything. I love it here." 

The Doctor felt his hearts swell with affection for her, then he realized he understood the true meaning of the word. Nothing else could describe what he was feeling for his companion at the moment. It was a little more than affection, it was a pure love for her. He loved her like a brother loved a sister, he would protect her until the day he died-and regenerated, etc. Looking deep into her eyes, he knew she was thinking the same thing. Sienna hugged him, he hugged her back.   
END


	23. New Gallifrey

10/Sienna/4/Sarah(mostly Doctor 10)/Romana II/Flavia

Mystery/Angst/Drama

The Doctor opened up his eyes, bewildered. Not hearing the TARDIS churning away in the background noise unsettled him, so he decided to get up. Casting aside the blanket, he got up and noticed there was a window in his bedroom.

"Odd," he muttered. "When did the old girl start putting in windows?"

Putting his hand over the window, he saw a cityscape, alive and bustling with activity. The Doctor turned and shed his pajamas, getting into his new green suit with purple canvas sneakers. He rustled around in the armoire in the room, muttering Gallifreyan swears to himself as he finally dug out his beloved sonic screwdriver and put it in his pocket. The Doctor opened up the room door, seeing a long hallway before him. 

"How weird!" he exclaimed to himself. "Sienna must have programmed the TARDIS to make me walk through a maze or something. She wouldn't normally do this, the old girl." 

"Ah, awake then, Doctor?" a figure in purple robes came towards him, every movement radiated aristocracy and elegance from them. The Doctor gulped, he hadn't seen attire like that since Gallifrey went up in flames a few millennia ago. 

"Uh, yeah," he brushed his hand over the wall. "Where's Sienna?"

"Sienna?" the female, bright green eyes and curly blonde hair questioned him. 

"Uh, yeah. She was with me, in my TARDIS." 

"Oh, your TARDIS!" she gave off a tinkling laugh that sounded forced to the Doctor. "That is down in storage, Doctor. Come this way now." 

Numbly, he followed her, sitting down in a small room that was cream colored. The table was dark mahogany, with a multicolor tablerunner down the center. Mahogany chairs with the same fabric, six in all, stood at the ready. The blonde sat down at one end and gestured for the Doctor to take a seat. He did so, warily eyeing the lady.

"I'm surprised you don't know me, Doctor," trays were put down in front of them both. "I was vice president of the high council when you left. You informed me that I would be president until you returned." 

A light was beginning to dawn on the Doctor. "What life was I in-or what was I wearing?"

"All five of your incarnations were here. Do you remember the Death Zone?"

"Do I ever." he sighed. The Lord President Borusa had summoned all five of his incarnations to the Gallifrey Death Zone to enter into Rassilon's tomb. Borusa was a just ruler, until he found the legend that Rassilon would bestow upon him the gift of immortality. The Doctor's fourth incarnation was trapped in a time warp, so he never materialized on the Death Zone. His fifth incarnation had been hypnotized by Borusa into doing whatever he was commanded to do. The mental power of his incarnations 1-3 broke the spell, and along with his past selves, watched as Borusa invoked Rassilon. The very first Time Lord was in eternal sleep, Borusa woke up a hologram of the ruler, who directed him what to do to claim immortality. Rassilon tricked him, Borusa's image was put into the pillar around Rassilon's bed, and the last thing they heard was a scream.

His first incarnation explained the inscription written in old high Gallifreyan. "He who wins shall lose, he who loses shall win." Borusa was now in a type of hell, and the Doctors were returned to all their points in time. His fifth incarnation was informed by the vice president that he was now president by default. He responded hastily, ordering her to act in his stead until he returned, and never did. 

"Good Rassilon!" he sputtered over his coffee. "Flavia!" 

The blonde grinned. "I was wondering how long it would take you to remember my name, Doctor." 

"But tell me, which incarnation am I talking to now?"

"Only my third one." 

"Good for you! And I'm on my tenth life right now." 

"We surmised as much when we found you. All medical scans confirmed it." 

"Tell me," he folded his hands together. " Are you still acting in my stead?" 

"Oh, no. I'm still the vice president of the high council. The Lady President will be in to see you shortly." 

"Who is she?"

"That would be telling," they finished their breakfasts and Flavia rose. "I will see you again soon, Doctor." she departed. 

The Doctor started pacing around, bewildered at the situation.

There was a Time War, he knew that much. He remembered it all too vividly, he had been coming home from Skaro, where the Master had been put on trial. The Master had been liquidated, the Daleks had allowed the Doctor to take his remains back to Gallifrey as a last request. He had been willing and yet quite wary as he brought the remains aboard the TARDIS. It didn't make sense, the Master didn't have any ties to Gallifrey, he was a rogue as much as the Doctor was. The Doctor had discovered, after the TARDIS crash landed in San Francisco, that the Master had broken out of his confinement and was slithering around in a translucent jelly like state. He had been in his seventh life then, so he decided to go and get help. 

Time Lords had always had a bad sense of timing themselves, he thought with a smirk. He'd landed in the middle of a gang shootout and the Doctor was badly hurt. A gang member chose to stay with him, the Doctor could only remember bits and pieces after that. He'd come close to consciousness a few times and remembered a doctor saying something about cardiology and his hearts were going like crazy. Of course they thought his heart X-rays were a double exposure, and they brought in the on call cardiologist. He'd come awake once, as opera played in the background and he could see her, endoscope in hand, ready to start cutting him up. The Doctor warned her that it was a bad idea, but she didn't listen, he was sedated deeply, and he died.

"The anesthetic almost destroyed the regenerative process." he echoed his eighth self. His Time Lord physiology allowed him to survive a few hours while his mind coaxed his regenerative cycle to begin. He had to wait until the anesthesia had fully been absorbed out of his body, then the process could take place. It worked, but the drugs left him with a temporary amnesia afterwards. As the day progressed, he'd been able to attain clothes during the night, then stumbled upon the cardiologist that had accidentally killed him. 

She took some convincing, but in the end, they both foiled a plot by the Master to steal the rest of the Doctor's lives. The Doctor asked her to come with him on his travels, but she declined it. With the Master actually eaten by the TARDIS, the Doctor resumed his solitary lifestyle aboard his ship. 

Going home, he was surprised to find Gallifrey in a lockdown state. The president had immediately had the Doctor shown into his chambers, demanding to know all the Doctor knew about one enemy in particular. 

"Who's this?" he had asked. 

Lord President Thesrax's face was grim, and he said one word that shook the Doctor to his hearts. 

"Daleks." 

From then on, because of the Doctor's experience with Daleks and their creator, Davros, Gallifrey was able to withstand prolonged attack by the Daleks. Many battles were fought, some were won, some were lost. Any attempt to engineer a virus aimed at the Daleks was immediately quelled. The Daleks had spy agents roaming around the Citadel and Panoptican. 

After the initial attack, the Daleks, with their spies, landed in Gallifrey and began to enslave the people. Few survived the cruel treatment, but the Doctor managed to hide out underneath the Panoptican. He and a few other Time Lords, including the Rani, began to formulate a plan to rid Gallifrey of the Daleks forever. They covertly wired the entire capital city in explosives, but the other Time Lords and the Rani were killed before they could get to safety. The Doctor, stumbling into his TARDIS, bloodied by his injuries, pressed the detonator switch. It gave him enough time to shut the TARDIS doors before Gallifrey as he knew it exploded out from under him. 

Aghast, he saw the explosion on the screen of the TARDIS. The Doctor collapsed on the floor, blood streaming out of his wounds, leaving a trail from the door to where he was. His bloody hands fell to his side as his stare went blank. He never figured out what exactly had gone wrong with his plan, causing the planet to blow up, but could only conclude he'd not planned it out thoroughly, he must have set a charge too near a mining shaft, or something like that. 

He regenerated, much to his chagrin. The Doctor woke up to find himself in bloody clothes with the TARDIS humming in the background. Inwardly, he cried out for the lost planet which was once his home, outwardly, he proceeded his travels. 

The Doctor brooded, sitting on the edge of the table with his feet on a chair. He had met Rose and she'd shown him how to really be human, to feel emotion again. He'd been cloaked in black, mourning for Gallifrey and all who was lost there. Though, he hadn't been very surprised when he heard that the Daleks had managed to blow up Skaro before they came to Gallifrey. 

"I've got to find out where Sienna is," he muttered to himself. "It's not like her, not to be with me. Flavia would have told me if they had found someone else with me. Time to ask the president questions." 

The door creaked open and a figure in white entered. The Doctor's jaw dropped open.

"Romana!" 

****

"Hello, Doctor." she was still in her second life, he'd noticed. Romana hadn't aged a day since he'd seen her last, at the warrior's gate. In the presidential robes, she looked very official as she preempted the chair and sat down in it. Taking the robe off, she revealed a white sundress with white pumps. 

"How are you?! It's been a long time." 

She smiled at him. "I was so glad to hear you escaped the horrible Time War, Doctor. I wondered what became of you ever since." 

"I've had a whole load of adventures!" he chirped. "By the way, I came here with a friend of mine." 

"You never change, Doctor. Yes, the girl was found with you." 

"Where is she?"

"She's in the medcenter. You may go to her soon, but I'm sure you have some questions for me." 

"Correctamundo, Romana." 

"That an earth phrase?" she winced as if she had touched a sharp object.

"Yes. How did this survive the Time War?"

"Strictly speaking, this wasn't Gallifrey during that time." 

"Oh. So you lead the people to here?"

"We smuggled as many people as we could to here, Doctor," she leaned back against the chair. " A lot of them were lost, which was a pity. The Lord President himself contacted me through K9 while I was helping the warriors develop time travel. It was a big success, I might add." 

"I'm happy for you." 

"Thank you. Our radar devices detected some craft flying away, then Gallifrey went up in an explosion. I had been contacted after the Daleks had landed and occupied our home planet. By then, it was too late to drive them out, so I set up the smuggling people out, and we kept working at it. We left the planet a few moments before you did, Doctor. I knew that it was you going away, I hoped I might see you again someday." 

"All this is very well and sentimental, Romana, but how did I come here now?" 

She cleared her throat, measuring him up with her eyes. "That we don't know, Doctor. You, your companion, and your TARDIS turned up in the Panoptican about a week ago. For some reason, you were not hurt at all, but your friend was. It is a complete mystery." 

"May we go to see her?"

"Of course. What is her name?"

"Sienna Blackman." 

"Ah." they strolled along, the silence between them hung awkward and heavily as Romana put on her presidential robe again. The Doctor searched his mind for more to say to her.

"Surprised to hear I became Lord President of Gallifrey?"

"Somehow, not really," she shot back at him with a grin. " You've already made quite the impression upon our society, Doctor." 

"Society can be damned," his disdain was obvious. "When it doesn't accept you for who you are and doesn't allow you to do as you like with your lives." 

Romana took his arm and looked into his eyes. "I know how you feel, Doctor. I have felt that way ever since I entered the academy."

"Aren't you going to ask me about Adric?" he ignored her statement as a stab of long forgotten pain tugged at his hearts.

"Who is Adric?" Romana gave him a questioning look. 

"The mathematician from Alzarius." 

"I don't remember any girl named Adric during our time together, Doctor." 

"Oh, Adric!" he chuckled. " Adric was a boy, Romana, but he died during my fifth life. He died trying to unlock a mathematical sequence, attempting to divert a ship from crashing into the earth. It exploded with him in it." 

"Oh, Doctor," Romana's voice sounded with pity. "How do you go on, when one of your companions die?" 

"I move on," he answered simply. "I grieve and then move on, Romana. He's the second one to die with me." 

"I heard of the first one. But anyway, here we are. Your friend Sienna's room is right here." she opened up the door and the Doctor immediately went to Sienna's side. 

She had a respirator hooked up, a tube was taped down to one corner of her mouth, leading all the way down into her lungs. An IV line was put into her left arm in two places, in the arm, and in the back of her hand. Wireless pulse oximeter clip was on one of her fingers, numerous sensors had been taped down; on her temples, over her heart, over her lungs. 

"Oh my sweet Rassilon," the Doctor suddenly went weak in the knees, Romana saw, she shoved a chair behind him and he sat down. " What happened to her? I've never seen her look this bad before." 

"We don't know, Doctor. In your earth terms, she has suffered bruised organs, which explains all this." 

"It does, though I wish it wasn't this." 

"What do you mean?" 

"Bruises will gradually stop an organ's function, Romana. My friend is dying right here before our eyes. The fact she needs a respirator means she's pretty far gone as it is." brown eyes glassy, he buried his face in his hands. 

Romana cuffed his shoulder. "Doctor, I will have someone call you down here if the worst is going to happen. Come back to your room now, I think you need a rest." 

"Romana," he moaned, standing up. "I need to find out what happened and why we ended up here. Are you sure you don't know?"

Baffled, she could only stare at him for a moment before he went for the door.

"Now go to sleep, Doctor." 

"Hang on. Romana, how long were we here counting today?"

"A week at least." 

"Then why don't I remember yesterday?"

"Well, I do. You were touring the new Panoptican with me. You said it was fantastic and proceeded to grill me on security. We went over security settings so the Daleks could never get in." 

"Oh." he let himself slide down onto the bed, kicking off his shoes. Romana took his blazer and hung it over a chair.

"Pleasant dreams, Doctor." she left the room. 

****

"Sienna? What are you up to now?" the fourth Doctor chuckled, casting his scarf over his neck and adjusting his fedora on his head. 

"Oh, Doctors," she grinned. "Feels like I've just got to sing! A sort of...euphoria, if you will." 

"Where will this be?" the younger Doctor adjusted his tie.

"Oh, just around here." she retreated into the TARDIS rooms, more specifically her room. Sienna put in her iPod, cranked up the volume, then began to sing. 

"Catch me as I fall  
Say you're here and it's all over now  
Speaking to the atmosphere  
No one's here and I fall into myself  
This truth drives me  
Into madness

I know I can stop the pain  
If I will it all away  
If I will it all away

Don't turn away  
Don't try to hide  
Don't close your eyes  
Don't turn out the light

I'm frightened by what I see  
But somehow I know  
That there's much more to come  
Immobilized by my fear  
And soon to be  
Blinded by tears

I can stop the pain   
If I will it all away  
If I will it all away

Don't turn away  
Don't try to hide  
Don't close your eyes  
Don't turn out the light

Fallen angels at my feet  
Whispered voices at my ear  
Death before my eyes  
Lying next to me I fear  
She beckons me  
Shall I give in  
Upon my end shall I begin  
Forsaking all I've fallen for)  
I rise to meet the end

Don't turn away  
Don't try to hide  
Don't close your eyes  
Don't turn out the light."

Sienna finished the song, collapsing on her bed and switching the sound down low. Sprawled on her stomach, she picked up a book and began to read a little bit. When she finally put it down, Sienna looked up as the older Doctor entered her room. 

"Are you sleepy yet?" he asked her. 

"Probably," she giggled. "What can I do for you, Doctor?"

He looked affronted. "Can't I just come in here on a whim and talk to you? Does there always have to be an ulterior motive?" 

Raising her eyebrows a little bit, Sienna curled up next to him as he sat down on her bed. He put his arm around her as tossed his scarf end out of her way. 

"Whenever either of you walk into my room, we're either going somewhere, or it's to check up on me when I'm sick. Never just for fun." 

The conversation that followed was one of literature. Sienna liked the Count Of Monte Cristo, he thought that Journey To The Center Of The Earth was a good read. Sienna countered that she didn't much care for science fiction, since by all accounts or the human standard, she was living it. The Doctor's face erupted in a toothy grin he sometimes had, then asked if she'd ever read Ivanhoe. 

"Yes I have," Sienna chuckled. "A gripping good read! I never could stand romance type books, like Pride and Prejudice." 

"I never glanced at the book." he admitted. 

As time passed by, they discussed literature until Sienna's eyelids wouldn't stay open anymore. The Doctor wished her good night and left then. When she was all ready for bed and tucked in, her Doctor entered the room and went to her side. Her soft microfleece pale blue blanket had been drawn up to her shoulders, her eyes were on him. 

For a moment, the Doctor looked at Sienna's bedroom in wonderment. The TARDIS was able to ascertain how Sienna mentally pictured her room and had made it just so. Sienna adored the color blue, so the room was a medium blue, with white furniture in it. She had a white tulle canopy, the four corners tied to the white wrought iron bed frame. On the walls, Sienna had adorned it with picture frames, her and both Doctors, Sarah, and a few other, all in white frames. She had artistically added matching blue ribbon to tie the tulle back with, and added her own blue flower design as accent pieces. 

"I swear you could be an artist, Sienna. If you wanted to." he added, sitting down and watching her. 

"I'm a paranormal investigator, Doctor. Now and forever." in a white lacy nightgown, she eyed the Doctor fondly as he shifted, looking down at her more intently.

"Good night, Sienna." the Doctor leaned over her and kissed her on the cheek. She returned it with a drowsy grin. 

"Pleasant dreams." he went to the doorway, smiled at her, then left. 

"You too, Doctor." 

The next day, Sarah turned up in the kitchen, clad in a denim skirt, white and gray striped sweater, and gray flats. She moved over to the cabinet, checked the fridge, then accepted the coffee mug her Doctor held out to her. Sienna came in a few minutes later, dressed in bootcut jeans, a red cami top, and her favorite old gray hoodie. Instead of her usual running sneakers, she wore Gore Tex hiking boots, which clumped dully throughout the corridors. 

"So, where are we off to, Doctors?" she poured hot water into a mug, made up a cappuccino from a mix, then stirred it idly as she leaned back against the countertop, looking at her friends. 

"Ohhh, I don't know. Maybe we should head over to Peregrine 6 and see how our friends are doing. Or, we can try Quagforia, a return visit to Shada, without all that Krillitane-human bioengineering going on. Want to see what it was like without you two being trapped and impregnated?" Sienna's Doctor joked, looking at her with a wry eye. 

Suddenly, the scene melted away gradually, leaving the younger Doctor sitting in bewilderment. He looked around and shouted for anyone near to help him, but he heard nothing in reply. Finally, an odd looking person appeared to him.

"Who are you?" the Doctor demanded.

"We are here to help you." the male figure responded. 

"Why?"

"Your world is not as it seems." 

"How-" the Doctor opened up his eyes and woke up fully. 

****

"Doctor!" Flavia came into the room in a hurry, her robes bustling around her as she dashed in. Screeching to a halt, she pulled out a compact mirror and checked herself anxiously, worried if she'd mussed up her appearance while in flight. Satisfied, she tucked the mirror away and addressed the Doctor. 

The Doctor got up, put his sneakers on, and tried to act like a Time Lord. "What is the reason for this disturbance, Flavia?" 

"It's your friend, Ms. Blackman. Romana sent me, they fear she is getting worse." 

Shrugging into his blazer, he immediately dashed out of the room, with Flavia on his heels. When he arrived at Sienna's room, he gazed down and gasped in shock at what he saw.

"How long has it been since I was last here?"

"Only two hours, Doctor." Flavia responded. 

"Sweet Rassilon! I've never seen her look this bad and I've seen her look bad on any number of occasions!" he snapped out. Sienna was deathly white in appearance, he could see her veins in places he wasn't supposed to see them. Her skin on her arms was nearly translucent, her lips were shrunken down and blue in color. 

The medical doctor approached, took Sienna's pulse, checked her heart rate, and lowered her eyes. 

"She's declining rapidly, Doctor. I'd be surprised if she lives another fifteen minutes. All organs are nearly shut down." 

Just then, the monitors went flat, showing only a flat line where Sienna's vitals were monitored only a moment before. The Doctor, in a state of numb shock, pecked Sienna on the cheek, then turned and walked back to his room. 

A few moments later, Romana entered to see the Doctor sitting at the window seat, looking down at the thriving city. She drew up a chair and sat next to him, not prodding, but there for him if he needed her. When he finally sighed, she looked at him, surprised to see a tear tracking it's way down his cheek. Romana had never seen him like he was at that moment, his fourth self she had known had always been very reserved with his emotions. He had been hard pressed to exhibit anything except that occasional maniacal glee and elation at having solved a problem.

Angrily, he swiped the tear away with his hand, giving a little sniff. "Pardon me, Lady President. I seem to have let my emotions get the best of me." 

Recognizing his sarcasm, Romana replied, "Not in the least, Doctor. It is OK to grieve." she opened up her arms and welcomed him in a hug. More silent tears found their way down his cheeks as Romana offered him a gesture that spoke more than words could. After a time, he was able to pull away, and Romana saw he had composed himself carefully.

"Romanadvoratrelundar," he said quietly. "I do believe those earthlings had rubbed off on you." 

"One thing I do like about them is short hair," she displayed her new bob cut. "All lady Time Lords now have the choice of having short hair or long. Pity we didn't have that when I was at the Academy, I could have been saved from hours of frustrating work." 

"I like it, Lady President." 

"Madame President, the high council meeting is beginning in five minutes." Flavia entered demurely. Romana stood up and invited the Doctor to attend.

"Your friend will be buried at first sun tomorrow. Until then, why not distract yourself and see how much Gallifrey has improved?" she smiled. 

Attempting a ghost of a smile, it quickly burned out. "I think I want to be....alone for a little while at least." 

"Suit yourself, my old friend. Do not seclude yourself for too long, it is unhealthy." she left with Flavia as the Doctor threw himself onto his bed and cried for a long time. Every memory of Sienna washed over him like a tidal wave, and he cried more for every fond moment, every adventure they ever had together. She had come to mean a lot to him, ever since Rose, and he had only truly realized it when she was deathly sick or wounded. As she had gotten better, he had banished those feelings to the inner depths of his mind and put a mental barrier in front of it. 

"Oh, Rassilon," he hiccupped, wiping off the tears. "I failed you, Sienna. I should have protected you." 

The Doctor got up, then went into the bathroom, where he took a shower, washed up, then got into a black suit that he had found hanging in the closet. After he had done that, he went down to the mortuary, where Sienna's body had been laid. She had already been ceremoniously dressed, in a long orange gown. He looked at her for a long time, barely registering in his mind when footsteps sounded behind him. 

"It's been four hours, Doctor," Flavia stepped beside him. "I went to roust you out for dinner and I thought you'd be down here." 

"She looks so beautiful," he muttered. "Why is she in an orange dress?"

"Orange is the color of Prydonian Time Lord chapter, is it not?" 

"It is, but she's human."

"Romana knew how much your companions meant to you, Doctor. She was made an honorary Time Lady for her visit here, which will now be...indefinite." 

"Gallifrey really has changed," he remarked. "Where are her personal affects?"

Flavia pulled out the drawer underneath the table that held Sienna's body. "Right here, Doctor." he took the bag and found Sienna's Leatherman, cell phone, assorted makeup, and a small book. He picked out the makeup, put it on her the best he knew how, finishing with the lipstick. The makeup disguised the slight bluish tint around her face and lips, making her look almost alive again. 

"First light tomorrow Doctor, the ceremony will begin. I can see you're already attired for it." Flavia measured him up with a single glance.

"Yes, I am. I'll be up and ready for it. Fact is, I don't even intend to sleep tonight." 

"You must, Doctor. You may feel a bit better." Flavia protested. 

"No, I have to let her family and friends know....she's passed." 

"As you wish, Doctor." Flavia saw him to his room. 

With a sigh, the Doctor punched on Sienna's cell phone and began to call the numbers she had programmed in her contact list.

****

"Mark Banks?"

"Yes? Is Sienna coming in to see me? It's been almost a year." 

"Uh, not anymore. She was involved in a terrible accident." 

"Oh. Well, will she still be around in her hometown? I saw her on the Most Haunted live and have been bragging that I know her to various people." 

"No," the Doctor silently cursed Mark's apparent thickheadedness. "She's dead, Mark! Sienna died in the crash and I was fortunate-er unfortunate enough to survive it." 

"You were fortunate," Mark disagreed sharply. "Don't go blaming yourself for what happened that was none of your fault. What happened exactly?"

"I don't remember a thing. Sienna died of a massive.....organ failure." that was close enough to the truth. 

"Oh. I'm sorry that she's not around anymore." 

"You don't know how badly I wished it was me instead of her there." 

"Goodbye." 

"'Bye." the Doctor hung up and checked Sienna's contact list. Only one more to call.

"David?"

"Yes?"

"This is Sienna's friend, Dr. Smith." 

"How are you? How is Sienna anyway? It's nearly time for the December Christmas shows." 

"Sienna can't come to do those shows." 

"Why?"

The Doctor exhaled. "Because she was caught up in an accident about a week ago. Ever since then, she'd been hanging onto life by a mere thread." 

"Oh, God. Will she be okay?"

"No, I'm sorry. She died four hours ago." 

David's breath caught in his throat. "I'm so sorry." 

"Yes, you don't know how sorry I am." 

"I know I can sense her spirit...goodbye." 

"Peace be with you, David." he rang off.

Despite his earlier conviction that he would not sleep, the Doctor soon found himself drifting into a restless slumber. He'd taken off the black suit and lay there in his flannel pajama pants and white t-shirt, his eyes closing involuntarily. 

"Doctor?" he found himself on a hill underneath an apple tree. He rubbed his neck, which had gotten sore, then looked up. 

A figure in a white dress was standing there, the skirt was blowing in the gentle breeze. She came closer to him until he could just barely make out her face in the dark gray colored landscape. The grass was only a very light green, the sky was a dark gray, almost black. 

"Sienna?" the Doctor asked himself. Another figure strode out from behind a tombstone-it was indeed a cemetery they were in, the Doctor mused. 

"Sienna!" he heard the other male choke. "My God, I can't believe it happened!" 

"It's OK, David," she hugged him. "I'm all right now. You'll feel my presence with you whenever you most need it." 

"Sienna!" the Doctor shouted, pouring all of his anguish into that one word. Both looked over to find him dashing towards them. David looked bemused and stepped back a little bit. The Doctor grabbed her up in a hug, swung her around, then put her back down on the ground. 

"How did you get in here?' David asked. "I went to see you, Sienna, in my dream." 

Sienna, her hair a little longer than it had been originally and in ringleted waves, nodded to the Doctor with a sad smile. "You tell him or me, Doctor?" 

"I'm telepathic," he explained. "Please, I don't want word of this getting around. Your parliament government or hers would dissect me and discover I'm....an original." 

David's eyes grew wider as he digested the information. "I see." 

"And now, my dear gentleman, I must be on my way." 

"I worked hard to get us together, Sienna," David proteted. "I wanted to say goodbye." 

"David," Sienna looked amused. "You don't need to. I'm one of those visitation ghosts. I'm in the light, with my departed family, I can always come back and visit you whenever I like. And you being a medium, you will know when I'm around. A bonus." 

David's eyes misted over and gave her a final hug. "Goodbye for now, then." 

The scene disappeared, leaving the Doctor and Sienna standing there in blackness. He faced her. "What was that?"

"He woke up, Doctor," she simply said. "It was his dreamscape, if a rather....melancholy one at that. You got into it because you are telepathic." 

"I know that much." he said gently. 

She rolled her eyes in mock frustration, then took his hands. "There's something you need to know, Doctor. This is not real." 

"I know that." 

"Doctor, I mean, where you are now when you're awake, it's not real." 

"How is that?" 

Sienna moved her lips like she was saying something, when the image of her fizzled out, replaced by the mysterious man he'd encountered before. The man had slicked back brown hair, a black cape around his shoulders, fastened with a shiny brass clasp in front, shaped like an O. Knee high boots, tan trousers, and a white button up shirt completed his outfit. The eyes were a deep golden color, with flecks of brown in them. 

"Who are you?" the Doctor asked. "What are you?" 

"I am Marik, leader of the Oracle." he spoke elegantly.

"Oracle? Isn't that some earth mythology thing, spiritual?"

Marik grinned broadly. "Doctor, how do you think they got the idea of the Oracle?" 

"I've never heard of you. Where do your species live?" 

"We are wherever there is a person that has a spirit that needs rejuvenation. Out here in the cosmos, there are some." 

"But you must live somewhere." the Doctor persisted.

"We are on the outer edge of the known galaxy, Doctor. You are in great danger." 

****

"Doctor, time to get up! You don't want to miss Sienna's interment, do you?" Flavia chirped. The dream of Marik fizzled out and he found himself groaning back into his full senses. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, raking a hand through his pillow hair. Looking around him, he was surprised to find out he had actually slept that night, the sheets and blankets were all touseled, like he'd been fighting in his sleep. Getting up, he dismissed Flavia, then got ready for Sienna's interment. 

Outside the Citadel, Romana and other people waited for him. Romana was dressed in her presidential robes, wearing a black beret as a signal for mourning.

"Is it you, Doctor?" a brown haired lady asked, stepping forward in a skins outfit. He looked at her, aghast. 

"Leela!" her hair was crimped now, the skins outfit was in a multicolor scheme, slightly glittery. Andred was by her side, along with K9. 

"Yes, Doctor." 

"How did you survive the Time War?" 

"Andred, K9 and I went into hiding before they came. The Lord President and Romana found us and evacuated us in their ship." her blue eyes shone with affection for the Doctor. He spread his arms and hugged her tightly to him. Leela returned the affection with a small grin.

"You've become more affectionate, Doctor," she remarked. "Your fourth self was so held back emotion wise." 

He chuckled. "I was more reserved when I was old and grumpy." 

"How is it you can change form?"

Remembering he'd never explained the process to Leela, he looked at Andred, who shrugged. "I can regenerate, meaning change bodies if I am dying." 

"What caused this one?" 

"I absorbed the space time vortex. You know, that bluish black thing we traveled in." he added, seeing her momentarily confused.

"Oh. My...what's the word, Andred?"

"Condolences, my dear," he shook hands with the Doctor. "Very sorry to hear about your latest companion, Doctor." 

"Thank you." the Doctor took up standing beside Romana as she read out the passages for the dead, as written by Rassilon. When she was done, the Doctor watched as Sienna's body was put into the ground. The ground of the New Gallifreyan planet was self healing, and when the workmen removed the braces, the gound soil filled the hole in itself. 

"Doctor," the Doctor looked up and saw Marik standing among the crowd, beside K9. "This is not real." 

The Doctor rubbed his eyes, then looked again. Sure enough, Marik was not there. He sighed, then as the service was over, he shuffled back to his quarters, dragging his every step. 

"Why would some ruler of a group of people called the Oracle come to me in my sleep?" he mused. "I haven't got the foggiest idea. It all seems real enough. Maybe....if I delve a little deeper into my friend's mind. Romana!" 

Romana, clad in a knee high neon green skirt, black knee high boots, and a white peasant top, swept into the room. She sat down opposite the Doctor as breakfast was served, rolling her eyes a bit as he began to question her. 

"What regeneration were you in when we first met?"

"My first life, Doctor." 

She knew her basics, he mused. Perhaps it's time to go into the finer details of our excursions. 

"Tell me, what does K9 say all the time that really irritated me?"

Romana looked confused. "I don't know, Doctor. Why would I remember such a trivial little matter like that?" 

"He said it incessantly, Romana, and you know what it was." 

"I really don't, Doctor." 

"All right. Now, do you remember Adric?"

"Haven't we been through this before?" 

"I'm sure you remember the marsh creatures of Alzarius? You were infected with a spider plague and we had to cure you?"

"It is not in my memory, Doctor." 

"Strange that it wouldn't be," his brown eyes glinted. "Adric was a stowaway on board the TARDIS when we left, Romana. We discovered him after we found the vampires."

"I don't remember the vampires, Doctor." 

He rolled his eyes. "Of course you don't, Romana. You're not real." 

"What?!" she stood up. "I am perfectly real, Doctor. You can see me, you can touch me.." 

"But you don't remember Alzarius, the vampires, the Mandrells, Professor Chronotis, any of the adventures we've been on together. The real Romana would remember it. All of it, I showed her things that were far beyond the Gallifreyan Academy. Beyond the Matrix, Citadel, Panoptican, all of that." 

"You must pardon me, if my mind was preoccupied with protecting innocent Gallifreyans against the Daleks," she snapped. "And becoming president here. I've had much to do and not much time for remembering, Doctor! I shall see you recieve psychological care for this....lapse in your judgment!" 

"You've confirmed my suspicion, Romana!" the Doctor chirped. "I don't remember the first few or so days coming here at all, which means either my memory has been tampered with, or I have been....conditioned of some kind."

"Impossible, Doctor! I must go now!" Romana turned on her heels and left the Doctor alone.

The Doctor smiled and paced around the room like a caged wild animal. "They told me my TARDIS was put down in storage, so maybe the old girl can have some answers for me. I'll have to don the old...Prydonian ceremonial robes so I can get down there inconspicously. Romana might have warned the medstaff I'm supposedly unstable." 

The Doctor went into the wardrobe, shedding his black outfit. The orange ceremonial robes and headpiece were all laid out, waiting for him. With a wince, he put the outfit on, remembering how cumbersone the robes were. The hemline dragged on the floor, the gloves were too big for him, the shoulder and back headpiece were wobbly and heavy. He put on the amber colored helmet, then started down into the basement of the Citadel. Sonic screwdriver in hand, he tried at the keypad locking controls various number combinations and managed to open them all. When the last door was opened, his TARDIS was standing there, proud as can be. 

"Oh, old girl, how did this happen?" he asked, touching the TARDIS outer door. 

A flash of light before his eyes, Sienna shouting, "Doctor, watch out!" 

He jerked back from the panel he had just touched, then shook his head. "What was that?" 

After a moment's thought, he felt a comfortable feeling wash through his mind. "Of course!" he exclaimed to himself. "The old girl wants to tell me something!" 

Leaning over, he put his hand on the wooden wall of the police box again, closing his eyes and bracing himself.

The TARDIS was in a dark chamber. The Doctors, Sarah, and Sienna were walking around carefully, Sienna had drawn one of her weapons from it's holster, and was walking cautiously around, prepared for trouble. It looked like a very dark warehouse, but then a light flashed in his eyes, catching him by surprise. Sienna shouted, " Doctor, watch out!" and he became rapidly disoriented. The older Doctor, Sarah, and Sienna were backed into a wall by creatures invisible to his eyes, he heard a pneumatic hissing noise. His friends and fourth self were put behind a barred door, just like an earth jail cell. The Doctor was put onto a slab, told to stare into a green light, then he remembered nothing.

"Oh, brilliant!" he removed his hand from the TARDIS door, then pulled out his key. "I knew something was, borrowing Sienna's term, screwy!" 

"You aren't going anywhere, Doctor." Romana's voice sounded. Two men took him by either side, then restrained him, bringing him to Romana's eyes. The Doctor was not one who liked brute force, he'd had enough of it with Cybermen and the like. 

"You don't need to manhandle me," he griped. " I'm harmless!" 

"Past incidences, Doctor," Romana's eyes showed genuine pity for him. "I'm sorry, but we need to take precautions. I know you mean no harm, but I need you in your quarters safely. I fear you are not in your right mind." 

****

"I can see quite clearly the situation going on, Romana!" he argued, trying to thrash about. "This is not real! You died in the Time War, as did Leela, Andred, both K9s and Gallifrey is gone! I had to blow it up to rid the universe of the Daleks!" 

"He is out of his mind," Romana said sadly. "Sedate him and put him in his room. I will deal with him later on." 

"Romana!" he shouted as she walked away. The Doctor yelped in pain as one of the men rammed a skin pressure injector into his shoulder. It injected him quickly with a small sucking sound as it latched onto his skin, then a barely noticeable clicking sound as the plunger went all the way down, emptying the syringe completely. His knees buckled, he began to slump to the floor, his eyes closing. The Doctor hit the floor gently, eyes firmly shut as the two men hiked him up and began to move him back to his quarters. 

"You are on the right track, Doctor," the Doctor blinked in the dreamscape and saw Marik standing there, watching him. " Keep on as you are and you can end this. You will return to your proper life." 

"I thought I was sedated, how did you get in?"

Marik grinned. "Your brainwaves, Doctor. They tell me when you are in the dreaming stage, and I come in. Sedation is free reign for we Oracle members, meaning we may come and go at any time." 

"All right, I suppose I can absorb that information," the Doctor mused. "How exactly do I wake up from all of this? It's not like I'll just wake up spontaneously and know which is the right reality for me. And who's doing this to me anyway?" 

"You'll have to figure most of that out yourself, Doctor," Marik told him. "But think of it this way, you dream much like a human. How do they wake up from bad dreams?" 

"Hmmmm. Sienna's had a few of them....I bet I can get myself to wake up. There's the jumping off a high tower, drowning, all kinds of nasty situations like that." 

"Goodbye for now then, Doctor." Marik disappeared as the Doctor opened up his eyes with a groan. Lying on his bed, his Gallifreyan robes were gone, he was in his brown suit and white canvas sneakers. The Doctor checked for his sonic screwdriver, found he had it, then went to the door, figuring it would be locked. He pressed his fingers down to the latch and tested it carefully, noting that it wasn't actually locked at all. Quietly, he sneaked out down to the hallway and wondered where he could go to wake up. 

A memory floated up to the surface....he'd been forced to drop Sarah off due to a call from Gallifrey. He had a premonition beamed into his head by the thought Matrix that the Lord President would be assassinated. He'd disguised himself at a Time Lord function, with his ceremonial robes, with every intent to protect the Lord President, but failed. The Master had been at work, using his tissue compression device, and using a spy inside the high council of Time Lords. The President was dead, but what stuck out in the Doctor's mind was the balcony where the assassin shot from. 

"That would be perfect, wouldn't it?" he muttered to himself, dashing up the stairs and surveying the balcony. 

Climbing up over the edge, hooking his arms over the backs of the railing, he suspended himself from the balcony so if he did let go, he would fall. It was like Rose, wanting to commit suicide off the back of the Titanic in the movie, he thought.

"Doctor, stop!" Romana's voice echoed. Flavia and two men in white coats trailed after her as she strode into the middle of the Panoptican. 

"You can't stop me, Romana!" he called out. " I know that this is not real and I will not die if I let go!" 

"What if you're wrong?"

"In all the time you've known me, Romana, you'd know that I have never been wrong-well, at least in matters like this!" he retorted, seeing the white coated men dash up the stairs to where he was hanging. Without another thought, he unhooked his arms and fell to the floor with a sickening thud.

"Doctor!" 

The Doctor uttered a faint moan from where he was. The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. Why was he feeling so disoriented and drowsy?

"Doctor!" the voice was more urgent. He flexed his fingers and began to take a mental stock of himself, making sure everything worked fine; luckily everything was in top shape. So Marik was right, he speculated in his mind. What kind of sick creature would take a painful memory like me destroying Gallifrey in the Time War and flip it so all....that happened? 

"Doctor, wake up, damnit!" he grinned, that was definetly Sienna talking to him there. He stretched his limbs and got up off a small table he'd been lying on. Discovering he was attached to several machines, he recklessly yanked the sensors off of his forehead, the backs of his hands, and over his two hearts. Seeing where his friends were, he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the lock.

"No, Doctor," his older self warned him. "That won't work, I've already tried it. We need an explosive charge to get through that lock." 

"Explosive charge, eh?" he whirled around and began to look through the random items. He quickly whipped up a little white gummy thing, which he plastered well into the iron bar cell lock, whistling. 

"What the hell?" Sienna asked. 

"My version of a plastique charge, Sienna. Give me one of your guns." 

She did so. "I hope this works, Doctor." 

He grinned at her. "I'm so glad you're not dead, Sienna." 

She stared at him. "What?!"

"I'll explain it to you later. That machine I was put to, it's like a dreambender or something. It altered my mind into a silly alternate reality and I ended up believing it for a little while. More on that later, eh?" he backed away, shot Sienna's magnum at the lock, which triggered the charge. The explosion was just enough to bust open the lock, and all his friends came tumbling out. 

His older self, putting his fedora on, went over to the apparatus. "Interesting. Zygons don't have this type of technology to really bend memories or anything like that. I wonder how they came across it?"

Sarah and Sienna, both muddy in their camouflage gear, stood by numbly as the Doctors examined the equipment. An outer casing opened up, revealing a slim little container, a dull golden color. The younger Doctor, recognizing it, reached in and gently pulled it out. Holding it in his hands, he felt the little creature inside, obviously alive, then looked up at his fourth incarnation with a manical grin.

"What is it, Doctor?" Sarah jolted him back to the present time.

"It's an Isolus!" his excitement was contagious, the little pod began to glow. "Zygons, you say? They must have abducted one of these little critters and forced it to work on my mind. Well now, the little bugger can go and join it's family and not be forced by the fishy people anymore." the pod glowed then took off like a bolt of lightning. Sienna retrieved her gun, holstered it, then both of the girls went to their Doctors. 

"We were behind there for nearly three days!" Sarah informed him. Before she could continue her tale, the planet shook, and all ducked for cover. The Doctors grabbed a desk, put it rightside up, then had the girls join them as they hid from whatever had landed into the planet. Sienna was signaled to be quiet, as was Sarah. They all heard heavy boots marching down the stairs, into the room that they were in. Sienna made for one of her guns, but the Doctors both told her not to do anything with their eyes. 

Finally, when the heavy boots had thundered away, Sarah exhaled slowly and asked what was going on.

"You remember the Zygons, Sarah, how they tried to take over earth." 

"Yes?"

"Well, they're on this abandoned planet here, concocting new schemes. Those sounds we heard were the Intergalactic Police Force." 

"Really?"

"Yes. They have finally come to apprehend the Zygons for all their...misdeeds and cruelty, past and present. Now, I think we're free to go." they all straightened up and walked over to the TARDIS in the back room.

"Time for some R&R," the younger Doctor spoke. " I think we all need it." 

****

He told his tale of the alternate reality that night over dinner in the kitchen. The rest listened intently as he outlined all that had gone on, and why he'd made that strange remark about Sienna being alive. Carefully omitting the details, such as Romana, the Time War, and the Daleks, he described the Oracle and their tipoff on what had been going on. 

"I've heard of the Oracle," his older self commented thoughtfully, taking a drink. "Not a bad lot, them. I've heard that they like to monitor the beta-delta sleepwaves around the universe and often times, get involved. It's the sleep reality, if you will, that they choose to become ensnared in. They can sense others who are like them that are not part of the Oracle, and help them become part of the group." 

"Very interesting," Sienna mused. " It's like righting dream wrongs. I think they can sense when a person's memory or dreams or something like that is being manipulated, and they tip you off. A bunch of telepathic do gooders." 

"How nice of them." Sarah offered, getting up and putting her dishes in the dishwasher. 

"They also do a spiritual cleansing ritual," the older Doctor remembered. "Humanoids from all over the galactic cosmos can go there to take it. Apparently, they put you deeply into sleep, then be your spiritual guide as they delve into your subconscious, bring up stressful or traumatic situations from your past, then teach you what is a spiritually healthy to deal with those times. Something like that, and they've got quite a following, it seems." 

Later on that night, after everyone had gone to sleep, the younger Doctor woke up with a bad coughing spasm. When it subsided, he groaned and went back to sleep, starting to feel a cold coming on. Sure enough, the next day, the Doctor stayed in bed, gradually developing a low grade fever and a goose like honking cough. He wasn't in the best of moods either, cranky and feeling tired all day. He didn't take any medicine, just stayed in his bed and read books all day, on any subject. Sienna's bedroom was across the hall from his and she got fed up with hearing his goose honks all day. She bumped into the older Doctor on one of his walks and asked if there was any way she could get his sick self to take medicine.

"I'm a very stubborn Time Lord, if you haven't noticed." he told her with a wry smile.

"I've noticed. Anyway, he needs meds and he won't take them. What would you suggest?"

"Trick him. Don't tell me, because I'll be him in the future and I'll know and foil you." he walked off, the scarf dragged behind him.

Sienna entered her sick Doctor's room in a mood of grim determination. A bottle of medicine was in one hand, in the other, nothing. He looked up at her, his cheeks faintly flushed with fever. She settled down on the edge of his bed and showed him the bottle.

"Don't you remonstrate with me, Doctor." she told him firmly. An appropriate measure of the medicine was already poured out in the little cup, she started towards him as his lungs went into another spasm. Sienna tried to get it down his gullet, but he fended her off easily enough. Frustrated, she brought something out of her pocket, jammed it at his shoulder, then he felt himself go slack.

"What did you do to me?" he grunted. Sienna giggled and brought up the needleless syringe injector.

"Part muscle relaxant and part sedative. First one is so you can't resist me, and the sedative is so you'll get to sleep for a few hours." she now easily got him to take his medicine, he was too dazed and woozy to put up much resistance. The Doctor noted his limbs seemed to weigh a metric ton each. He glared at Sienna as his eyelids were lowering, he remembered growling something about revenge when he was better.

Sienna had gotten up, turned off the light. She turned back and said, "I'm sure that you'll get your revenge on me when you're well enough, Doctor." she shut his door and left the room as he fell asleep.  
END


	24. Christmas Collision

Graphic sex/Fluff piece/Introspection

Sienna/Sarah/10/4/3/2/5/6

The fourth Doctor took off his hat, closed the TARDIS doors, then hung up his hat on the stand. Only recently had he rediscovered what the hat stand actually was for, since he usually took off his fedora and rolled it up, tucking it into one pocket. Standing there in his brown velvet peacoat with his signature gray trousers, vest, white shirt and multicolor scarf, he wondered where the other inhabitants of the TARDIS had gotten to. His tenth self was in the library reading, he supposed. Apparently he'd cleaned out his TARDIS of volumes that the older Doctor still had. He'd been sitting engrossed in the books all day, curled up on the couch with his black framed glasses, reading endlessly.

He went into the TARDIS kitchen, ready to call out his other self and offer some tea, since it was teatime. 

Sarah had gone off in the TARDIS with Sienna, still exploring it. Ever since their encounter with the Zygons, the girls had been content to roam the TARDIS all day long, discovering endless nooks and crannies the old girl had. It got so the Doctors did not see their companions until bedtime, they would be gone all day long. Sarah came back once with a crown of daisies in her hair, she was giggling helplessly at some joke Sienna had told, while the latter had a big bouquet of multicolored tulips she put in a vase in the kitchen. 

"I just love this ship, Doctors,"she'd remarked after setting the vase on the table. "My allergies to pollen and dust and the like don't bother me here at all. Does she know?"

"I think she does know," her Doctor grinned at her. "Two days since the Zygons and you're already raring for another adventure?"

"I think the adventures the TARDIS has to offer us while in...flight are quite sufficient enough for now."Sarah sat on the countertop, a mug of tea in her hand. 

"If you two would come into the console room, you'll discover what my counterpart and I have been doing." the older Doctor, his scarf dragging on the floor, ushered the two women into the console room and watched their identical expressions of surprise appear on their faces.

The Doctors grinned in pride and joy at what their companions were seeing. The console room was decked out entirely in gold colored tinsel and multicolor lights. Around the part of where the ceiling met the walls, the doorways, along the console edges, even wound up along the hat stand itself. The younger Doctor's brown overcoat hung from one hook, while the older Doctor's hat remained perched on the hook he'd put it on there earlier. The time rotor columns in the center of the console chugged up and down, with an occasional grunt or wheezing sound, even that had a pile of golden tinsel taped to the top of it. 

Snowflakes, cut out of white and blue colored paper, adorned the ceiling liberally, high enough to not brush against anyone's head. The lights were not like anything the girls had ever seen, glowing brightly, without any evidence of wire or tape, or anything to hang them up or power them by.

"How are these lights hung or even powered?"Sarah touched one. 

"Ah, old Gallifreyan lighting," the older Doctor pulled out what looked like a light bulb from his peacoat pocket. "Not made out of glass like you earthlings, not at all. They're just ordinary balls of light that we just threw onto the walls at random."

The girls peered closer. The pink ball of light glowed quietly as Sarah touched it. It almost seemed to make a purring sound, like a cat when stroked in it's favorite spot. Sarah looked up at her Doctor, who was watching her with a knowing grin. 

"How do you like that, Sarah," Sienna teased. "He's got that I-have-something-you-don't look on his face. In my time, we have LED lights and they work well for me!"

Sarah blinked in confusion. "What are LEDs?"

"Light Emitting Diode," the younger Doctor supplied. "They're great for the enviornment and they're brighter! The lights you use now, Sarah, are incandescents."

"Anyway," Sienna shot a look at her Doctor, reminding him that she didn't like to be interrupted. "Very festive! I truly like it a lot."

The older Doctor beamed. "Thank you, Sienna!" 

"Maybe instead of garland up here, you can tape down a big star or something,"she gestured to the time rotor column. "Like a makeshift Christmas tree?" 

"Good idea!"her Doctor chirped. 

"Oh, what time is it?" Sarah looked at her watch. "I'm overdue for bedtime, Doctors. Good night, everyone." 

"Good night, Sarah."they all chirped as she went to her room. Sienna, through half drooped eyelids herself, watched as the two Doctors tinkered around with the console, producing a large silver star from somewhere, and positioning it on top of the time rotor column. 

"I think I'm all done in as well, Doctors. Ta." she left the console room as well. Barely noticing their companions had retired for the night, the Doctors mounted the star on the column, anchoring it down securely. The TARDIS shook a little bit, as if she was hiccupping. 

"Steady on, old girl,"they said in unison, affectionately. 

Sarah draped her selection of the next day's clothes on her recliner, then took off her bathrobe and climbed into bed. Her nightgown was white lace around the neckline and arms, made from a sheer cotton fabric, lightly dyed a cream yellow color. Unlike Sienna's room, Sarah's had no theme whatsoever. She liked big colorful rooms, the walls were a pale green, black carpet. Moving aside her green duvet, she climbed into bed, reaching over and clicking off the lamp. Huddling down underneath the covers, Sarah closed her eyes, relaxed her body, cleared her mind, and fell asleep. 

Sienna had also clambered into bed, wearing her favorite blue plaid print pajama pants, and a white t-shirt. Her blue and white themed room was completely black now, no light leaked in underneath her ajar door. She didn't bother laying out her clothes for the next day, she liked to come up with colorful combinations on spur of the moment. She cast aside her books, her iPod, and her cell phone, putting them in the drawer of the nightstand. Sienna reached over and turned off the light, then relaxed as the fluffy white pillows hugged her head to them. 

After a few hours, the Doctors straightened up and found their eyelids wouldn't stay open anymore. The younger one went to his bedroom, doing all his bedtime rituals, then decided on the electric blue suit with red canvas sneakers to wear the next day. He'd always liked that suit, he knew that Sienna adored it, everyone and their uncles knew that blue was her absolute favorite color in the universe. 

"Oh, Sienna." he sighed as he turned off the light and got into bed. He had been tormented by those dream manipulations he'd suffered on the Zygon planet. The Doctor had unwittingly distanced himself more from Sienna, subconsciously fearing that she would suffer the same fate as he had seen in his dream. He doubted she'd even noticed, she had Sarah to be pals with. She spent more time with Sarah recently than she had with him, but he didn't mind that at all. Sarah was a wonderful bubbly soul, he was glad the girls had found each other to be friends with. Sometimes being the only companion with a cantankerous Time Lord got lonely without any other companion. 

Half an hour later, the older Doctor also retired, unwilling to admit to himself that he had worked himself very hard that day. Sarah and Sienna had gone roaming around, which pleased him. He'd always taken delight when his companions showed an interest in his TARDIS, and wholeheartedly encouraged them to explore more and more in his ship. The TARDIS, he knew, liked it too. He kept detecting little satisfied auras the TARDIS was giving off that day, and was happy that they were making the old girl feel content and loved.

The TARDIS whirred along happily through the time vortex, keeping her mechanical noises to a minimum, not to disturb her occupants. 

Towards the TARDIS midnight, Sienna was awakened by a sharp pain in her right knee. Cursing silently, she threw aside the covers, slipped into her clog slippers, then went down to the kitchen, blinking in the bright light. She opened up the fridge door, then remembered it was the freezer she was after. Closing the fridge door and opening the freezer with a grunted swear, she pulled out an ice pack, shut the door, then went back to her room. Once she was comfortable, she put the ice pack on to her knee. The ice pack flexed itself, then wrapped itself around her knee, easing her pain, and not chilling any other part of her body at all. With her pain eased, at least for the present, Sienna allowed herself to relax and fall back asleep, leaving her knee above the covers.

****

The older Doctor woke up, raked a hand through his curly hair, then got up and got dressed. He substituted the brown velvet for the red peacoat, carelessly threw his scarf on, then went towards the sound he was hearing from the music room. 

"Lithium, don't wanna lock me up inside  
Lithium, don't wanna forget how it feels without  
Lithium, I wanna stay in love with my sorrow  
Oh but God I want to let it go."  
Sienna was singing again, tickling the piano keys. The Doctor noticed it wasn't a song he had ever heard of before, so he stayed in the doorway, looking at Sienna. Her eyes were focused on the sheet music and singing out the lyrics, so she didn't notice him. The Doctor wondered if she did notice and did nothing about it, she didn't want to be distracted and throw herself off the music.

"Come to bed, don't make me sleep alone  
Couldn't hide the emptiness you let it show  
Never wanted it to be so cold  
Just didn't drink enough to say you love me

"I can't hold on to me  
Wonder what's wrong with me

"Lithium, don't wanna lock me up inside  
Lithium, don't wanna forget how it feels without  
Lithium, I wanna stay in love with my sorrow

"Don't want to let it lay me down this time  
Drown my will to fly  
Here in the darkness I know myself  
Can't break free until I let it go  
Let me go

"Darling, I forgive you after all  
Anything is better than to be alone  
And in the end I guess I had to fall  
Always find my place among the ashes

"I can't hold on to me  
Wonder what's wrong with me

"Lithium, don't wanna lock me up inside  
Lithium, don't wanna forget how it feels without  
Lithium, I wana stay in love with my sorrow  
Oh I'm gonna let it go."

Sienna pressed the last chords of the song, letting the notes fade away, the silent count to four, then she lifted her fingers off. When she turned, she was surprised to see the Doctor standing there and watching her. He raised his hands in mock applause as she put her hands on her hips, mocking him right back. When he was done, he crossed over and sat near her.

"Why such a sad song, Sienna?" he asked. "Why not something with a happier cheerful melody?" 

Measuring him up with a glance, she stretched out her fingers and began to play another tune. The Doctor liked it, remarking that if it had lyrics, she could sing them. No need to be so shy around him.

"This song doesn't have lyrics, Doctor," she expertly played the song, hitting the key change, then back to the beginning. "It's the theme music from those Charlie Brown specials I would often see on TV back home." 

"Never cared much for Charlie Brown," he remembered reading the comics section of the newspaper when he was scientific advisor for UNIT. "Seemed awfully too depressing for me." 

Sienna hit another key change, then played along with her eyes closed for a moment, seeing if she was missing any notes. "I think the author had some kind of depression, Doctor. Anyway, he created a very memorable cast of characters. Listen to the music! Doesn't it make you want to get up and dance?" 

"I would dance with you, only there wouldn't be any music." he grinned as she ended the tune and closed the shelf over the piano keys. Sienna turned to face him, then stood up. They both walked out into the corridor, looking around for any sign of their friends. Unknowingly, the Doctor's hand reached out to find hers, then found it, he felt her nails, half an inch long and curved into perfect oblong shape. Sienna had spent some time on her nails recently, he'd thought. Usually, she just lets them get all ragged looking and the polish would be chipped off. In spirit of the upcoming Christmas, Sarah had painted Sienna's nails a light bluish green, and added a red stripe down the center. In turn, Sienna did Sarah's nails white with red candy cane stripes carefully painted at a diagonal angle. 

Her fingers were long and feminine-looking, for some lady who wasn't very feminine at all. He slid his fingers in, entwined them with hers, then they both walked out to the console room. 

"Where are the others?" Sienna asked.

"Gone out for a quick Christmas shopping run, I believe," he answered, checking the TARDIS outside viewscreen. "Though I think I know what they'll be getting me this year." 

"Jelly babies, I'm sure," Sienna had to laugh. "In America, they're called jelly beans. They come in much more...varied flavors, actually." 

"Like?" his attention was riveted on her, like anyone who happened to mention his favorite treats.

"Oh, popcorn, green apple, root beer, bubble gum." she laughed at his expression. 

"All of that?"

" And more."

" More!"

Giggling, Sienna explained, " They were working on a new flavor when I left earth. I believe it was a maple sugar one. They put the mystery bean in some packets and that's what my taste detected."

" Wonderful!"the Doctor shut the viewscreen. " I must try them sometime."

Sienna said nothing, just watched as the Doctor's blue eyes dashed over the controls, adjusting a button and flicking a switch here and there. She'd often thought eyes were the windows to the soul, and in anyone, she found that expression was more often than not, true. He radiated fierce frantic energy at all times, a childlike impish wonder to explore, and stubborn concentration in the face of danger. Eyes could convey much more than just what their owner may be merely thinking, Sienna pondered. The Doctor's blue eyes also held a faint gleam of past torment, anguish, and other unhappy moments of his seven hundred plus years in existence. She shifted her weight and watched him, satisfied when he took her hand again and walked down the corridor.

" Let me show you something,"he guided her through a small maze, then pushed open the door at the dead end he had brought them to. " What do you think?"

Stepping inside, Sienna saw a four poster bed with green damask curtains tied up at the corners. The room was average sized like her own, but on the ceiling there were little glowing dots like stars. A chaise lounge rested in one corner, along with a bureau and closet. 

"Oh, wow." was all she was able to say as he guided her in, shutting the door.

"Do you like it?"

"How could I not?"she breathed. " Is this your master bedroom?"

"It is,"he steered her over to the bed, sitting her down. " The TARDIS used those little beams of light you and Sarah saw earlier to create my favorite constellations on the ceiling here. Lie down."

The four poster bed had no top curtain, so they were able to see the constellations clearly. The Doctor looked at Sienna, who was enthralled with the tiny lights on the ceiling. He put his hand on hers, startling her for a moment.

"Would you like to know which one is mine?"

"You had a constellation named after you?"

" Well, the one I came from. Over there,"he indicated. "Is Kasterborous. Gallifrey is in that star system, on the other side of your galaxy." 

Where Gallifrey once was, Sienna remembered her Doctor telling her about the Time War between the Time Lords and the Daleks. He'd been forced to blow up Gallifrey in the final attempt to annihilate cyborgs for good. Sadly, it didn't do any good but to declare him the last living Time Lord in existance, while four Daleks had survived. 

Involuntarily, tears sprung to Sienna's eyes, knowing Gallifrey's future and loathing it. She made a furtive gesture to wipe her eyes, but the omnipresent Doctor's blue eyes had caught her movement. 

****

"Something wrong?"

"It's nothing I can explain, Doctor,"she hastily thought up a lie. " It's just so...beautiful to my eyes."

His impish grin stretched out his laugh lines, nearly blinding her with his smile. The Doctor unwound his scarf and cast it aside carelessly. Turning her so she was facing him, he raked his hands through her auburn hair. 

" ou dyed your hair again, didn't you?"

"Wow, a man noticed."she giggled. He didn't let up there, running his left hand over every line in her face, as if he was tracing it, recording it for future memory. Sienna lay still and let him, letting her eyes take in every cell of his being.

"You are a very pretty girl, you know that?"she was surprised by his tone of voice, it was so gentle and soft sounding. She'd never heard that tone from him, not ever. Sienna was about to scoff and say Sarah was prettier, but something in his eyes told her that she shouldn't say it. Peering a little further into his deep blue depths, she could see that he meant it, and he would certainly challenge her if she denied it. 

"My Doctor told me once."she breathed deeply as he tickled a vein in her neck, then playfully tugged at her ear.

"He, I mean, I have good taste in companions."his low chuckle sounded then. Sienna gave him a smile, finally daring to reach out and wind her fingers around his curly hair. She paused in mid fondle, suddenly afraid if she did something, it would break the spell that seemed to be holding them right there and then.

"I thought Time Lords didn't have a sex drive."she teased him, bringing her hand down his vest and unbuttoning it.

" We are half human, Sienna. Though we don't...indulge as much as you earth females do."he pushed down the green button up shirt she was wearing, revealing her ivory skin and a pale blue bra strap. Sienna gave him a look, which he interpreted as a so-you-wanna-play? and he put his hand on her buttons, undoing them one by one. Undoing his ascot, making him take off the peacoat and vest, she undid his buttons like lightning, as if trying to keep up with him. The Doctor noted she had a devilish look on her face and wondered what that was about. 

His wonderment was forgotten in a flash as she rubbed his shoulders, then began twiddling with her thumb and forefinger his earlobe. He succeeded in ridding her of her shirt, then put his hands to her bra, then noticed she had on the type that didn't cinch around the front. She noticed the look on his face and laughed, taking his hands and guiding them to her back. While he fumbled with the strap, she began to neck him, using her teeth to give a little extra bite to make him jump. He unlatched her bra, cast it away, it landed on top of the already discarded pile of clothing. 

Sienna yanked off his shirt with one clean sweep, reminding him of a bullfighter yanking away the red cape in front of a bull. She threw it away carelessly, then gazed at him while he did the same to her. Both of them were a bit muscular, in good shape after all their adventures thus far. The Doctor noticed her tattoos had faded away with time, as she did henna once in awhile. Her scars were fading away, leaving the dull pink that they were and fading to a white line. Sienna noticed the same about him, then sat up, he echoed her. 

"What is it?"

"Sorry, but I am a bit self conscious." 

"Why?"

"Because...I guess you could put it that the others in school made fun of me for every little thing."

"Ah, because you were different and nonconforming?"

"Pretty much." 

"Well then, I have no problem with you just being yourself," he began to fondle her again. "Just think, Sienna. You being yourself and nonconforming got you to where you are today. How many of those bullies have conformed to society's ill standards and fit in after all?" 

She gasped as he hit a sensitive spot and felt a feeling like pleasure hit her down below. She knew what it was, a particular part of her waking up, wanting attention, complaining it had been sorely ignored for a long time. 

"Doctor...." Sienna exhaled as he worked on her, nearly melting. 

"Yes?" he paused from his working over of her chest. 

"Be careful....."

"Oh dear, did I hurt you?"

"Nope,"she said in a low voice. "You're waking me up down there. I might not be able to control myself much longer."

"Oh,"his grin seemed to light up his whole face. "Well then, let's denude ourselves of these cumbersome clothes then?"

"All right."she undid his pants, threw them off, the same for his boxers. They were, she saw, emblazoned with the Orion constellation. The Doctor pulled off her track pants, then her underwear. He touched her flesh and saw it was covered in goosebumps.

"Getting a little cold are we?"

"No. Matter of fact, it's starting to get really hot in here."they shared a laugh, then he pushed her down, assuming the missionary position. Sienna reached over and pulled out protection, which he accepted. She then leaned up on her elbows and began to neck him again, giving him a pleasant start. The Doctor nudged her legs apart a little further, then without further ado, eased himself into her. The sensation caused Sienna to give a little start of her own, jumping a little bit as he took up his position again and looked down at her. 

"It's OK,"she cut him off before he got started. " You're a little cold, that's all."

"You're warming me up."he fondled every inch of her body as she returned the favor, they both ground into each other mercilessly as time went on. They both were gradually working up the pace and soon were going at an impossible speed, when he felt the telltale shake of her body. The Doctor ground his hands into the bedsheets, feeling his own body chemistry working him up to his own explosion. 

"Oh, God,"Sienna was starting to look a little tired. "I-I'm..."

She never finished what she was going to say. The Doctor felt her body shake, then felt her walls contract around him, leading him to his own climax. He pulled out, noticing Sienna's panting gradually decreased, and her eyes closed. 

Tidying up, he pulled the bedsheets over both of them and watched her limp form. 

"Stupid me,"he commented. "I had forgotten a Time Lord's stamina would long outlast a human's for this sort of thing."checking her heart, he found it was slowing down and beginning to take up the regular steady rhythm again. Realizing it had been all sex, they had never even kissed on the lips, he leaned in and gave Sienna a long smooch. When he finished, he realized she had the glint of a smile on her lips, and he drifted off to sleep with a satisfied smile playing upon his own face. 

The Doctor woke up, blue eyes bulging nearly out of his head as he sat upright in bed. Raking his hands through his curly hair, he went over the dream again in his mind. He and Sienna having sex! It couldn't be! 

Just then, he discovered the human part of him was disgustingly proud of itself. He could sense amusement from the TARDIS, she'd played a little joke on him! Muttering Gallifreyan curses, he got up out of bed and went into the bathroom. Staring at himself in the mirror, he looked like a wild man, his hair all up on end, eyes wide with fright as if he'd met a Dalek army. What was it that humans did to erase that feeling from themselves whenever they got-what was the word-horny? 

" Oh, sod it!"he stripped off and got into the shower, turning the dials all the way to cold. He gasped as the cold water shocked his system and gave any other horny ideas in his mind the cold feeling. Instantly, all his feelings were banished in the chilly atmosphere and he began to feel more like himself and in control again. Once he felt that way, he switched off the water, dried off, then redressed in his pajamas. Under the covers of his bed once more, he stared at the wall, with the connecting door open to reveal Sienna's room. 

Finally drifting off to sleep, he never took his eyes off of his counterpart's companion's still form in the bed. 

****

The next day, everyone met in the kitchen, gabbing as they had their breakfast and then scattered about to do whatever they wanted to. Sienna and Sarah went into the library, accompanied by the younger Doctor. That left the older Doctor to poke at the console and ponder about the dream all the more. He became so lost in his musings and looking quite melancholy, he barely noticed the scanner picking up several other TARDISes entering near to where he was. Since they were docked on earth in Sarah's time, they were parked near UNIT. 

"I say, that is a rum face to be making on this day of all days." a short black haired man strode into the room, followed by a taller, white curly haired man with a frilly shirt and bow tie. 

He looked up, startled. "What?"

"Well, it's Christmas Eve, isn't it? Shouldn't you be gadding about with the others, lost in a sense of spirit of the season?" the shorter man with plaid pants, white shirt, black peacoat, stared at him. The taller man looked like he agreed. 

"Good Rassilon!" he nearly choked. "It's you! How on earth did you get in my TARDIS?"

The shorter black haired man, who was his second incarnation, turned to his third self. " As if we owe him any explanation!"

Three looked at Two. "Indeed." his voice was gentle, with a hint of amusement in it. 

"Well well, is this where we're supposed to celebrate Christmas?" a jovial tenor trumpeted. A blonde haired man in cricket clothes walked in with a cheerful smile on his face. "If it isn't my past selves!" 

"Let us take off then! No need to stand around, prattling on about every little thing!" another man, in a wild coat with many colors stepped into the TARDIS. Wearing yellow trousers with thin black pinstripes, a cat shaped pin on his lapel, and a blue tie with white polka dots, he had dark blonde curly hair cut very short. 

"What in the name of Rassilon?" Four could barely speak as he shut the door. Five and Six looked at each other, then stood off to the side. Three and Two pulled the dematerialization switch and the TARDIS disappeared from earth. 

"We all converged here to give you a merry Christmas," Two informed Four. " We could sense your feelings of melancholy light years away."

" Oh! Well, it's not just me here-"

"We know. Sarah Jane is here too." Three pulled off his gloves.

"Not just her, but-"

" Doctor!"Sarah's voice called out, causing Three to look in her direction eagerly. She stopped short, seeing him, then a smile lit up her face. He extended his hand, grinning as she accepted it, then enveloped her in a hug. 

" Sarah!"came Ten's voice. " I told you, I can figure it out if you give me a second!"he screeched to a halt as he saw the crowd in the console room. 

Six looked at the blue suited man with an arrogant stare. " And who is this?"ignoring the arrogant tone, Ten grinned like crazy and pumped all their hands with glee, manically standing beside Four to look at them all. 

" You don't remember me, do any of you?"he shoved his hands in his pockets. " All of you, plucked out of the main timestream to come here, so of course you wouldn't remember anything!"

" Remember what?"Six held a warning tone in his voice, which Ten decided to ignore. 

" Me!"Ten chirped happily. " I'm you!"

All except Four's faces reflected similar expressions of shock. Four stood there, twiddling with the end of his scarf casually, secretly enjoying the expressions. Three looked at Four, who nodded nonchalantly, then he looked down at Sarah. 

" He's the tenth Doctor, Doctor,"she confirmed. " What do I call you all so I don't get mixed up?"

" Just call us numerically, Sarah,"Ten looked at his past selves. " This one is Two, Three, you know Four, Five, and Six. And I'm Ten."he hand gestured to all of them in turn, Sarah nodded and smiled a polite hello. 

" Is this all of the people you have on board, Four?"Six brusquely asked. " It's time for us to settle in, a bit."

" There's one more person on here you haven't met,"Four looked at Ten. " His companion, when he was his eighth self. Well, originally, anyway. He had to go to Gallifrey, so he left her with his Tenth self."

" Oh,"Two headed off any more rude questions from Six. " We'd be delighted to meet her."

"Yes, quite." Five piped up. 

"All right," Ten pulled out his cell phone. "Sienna, console room, pronto." 

"What is that device?" Three watched Ten slide it into his pocket. 

"It is a portable phone, Three," he enjoyed the bewildered look among them. "My companion is from the year 2007 and she got me interested in them. Great technology out there." 

Sarah, wearing a green knee length skirt with tan tights and her black knee high boots, wore a white t-shirt, and a red cardigan over it, unbuttoned. Her hair was held back with barrettes that had miniature sleigh bells glued to it, which chimed when she moved. She peered over at Four, whom gave her an encouraging smile. To her, Two looked almost like a hobo, Five like a joyous cricketer, and Six just gave off the aura that he was arrogant, no matter what. 

"What is it, Doctor?" Sienna came in, her low cut green button up shirt exposed a healthy section of her chest, she had red corduroys on, and her ankle boots. From her ears dangled her clusters of silver stars. 

"Ah, Sienna!" Ten took her arm. "Allow me to introduce my past selves." 

"Nice to meet you," Two, cordial as always, shook her hand. "How have you been finding space travel?"

" Wow,"she grinned. " You look a little bit like Moe Howard from the Three Stooges. I really enjoy this crazy lifestyle, thank you so much."Two grinned. 

" I'm number three,"he shook her hand. " Did Sarah tell you she stowed away in my TARDIS?"

" No, I had no idea. Sarah!"Sarah laughed. 

" I'm Five,"the blue eyes were charming to her. " Has your Doctor told you he can play a mean game of cricket?"

"No, he hasn't. Perhaps you can tell me more of his hidden talents." 

"I'd love to." his grin was quite contagious, she thought, as she moved on to number Six.

"Six, and by far the best, Doctor," he shook her hand. Sienna sized him up quickly. "Think you have what it takes to be my companion?"

Thinking quickly, she replied, " Oh, I don't think, Six, I know."matching his stare with one of her own, she put her nose in the air and walked to her Doctor. 

" Arrogant."Six branded her, making her angry. Ten put his arm around her, supporting her. 

" Six!"the others reprimanded him. 

" No, no, I can handle him,"Sienna interrupted. Measuring him up with a glance, hopefully making him uneasy, she smiled slyly. " What did you do to wear that hideous ensemble? Throw random clothes into the blender?"

Six sputtered, "How dare you!" 

"Oh, I dare all right. I could say more, but I'll save it for later, as I'm sure there will be a later with you." she gave him an icy glare, then they all went into random places in the TARDIS. 

Four, Sarah, and Three went into the library as Sienna went out into the music room to play the piano by herself. The rest of the Doctors wandered around aimlessly. 

After she was done, she went into her room and flicked on her iPod. Needing to unwind a little bit, she chose a song with a strong beat, Hit Me Up by Gia Farrell. Sienna let herself loose, doing a mixture of dances. In a few minutes' time, her Doctor came in. Ten looked amused at seeing her dancing, nevertheless, he joined in and matched her, move for move. 

"Oh, want to match me move for move, huh?" she breathlessly laughed. 

"I can do any dance you can!" he teased her.

"All right,"she giggled. " We need more room to move around, though!"

****

"Hey everybody!" Ten chirped, finding everyone in the library, chatting away. "Sienna and I are gonna have a bit of a dance off! Who wants to watch or join in?"

" Sounds like fun!"Five looked at Sarah, who gave him a small grin. 

In the small gym, Sienna set up her stereo, put in her iPod, then found a song with a fast beat. " In spirit of the season!"she found the song Run, Run, Rudolph, then launched into an impromptu jive. After that, she did Hips Don't Lie by Shakira and did her best samba routine, which her Doctor matched her on perfectly. 

" OK, enough of matching dances!"Ten proclaimed, aiming the iPod stereo remote and changing the song completely. Sienna recognized the music, the Cell Block Tango from the musical Chicago. Ten took her by the arms and began to perform a tango with her. Getting into the spirit of the song, she tango-ed along with him, wowing the other Doctors and Sarah completely. Sienna pulled off moves even the Doctor didn't know she was capable of, and both ended the song with a flourish. 

Panting a little bit as the song ended, she grinned and let her Doctor up. Sarah jumped up, then pulled Five up with her. 

" Can't we waltz together?"

" Why, Sarah!"Four exclaimed. Ten laughed.

" I'm exhausted after all that, Sienna. Perhaps Five here can oblige you."

" OK!"Five took Sienna's hand, the music played, and the two pairs waltzed together. It was Eric Idle's The Galaxy Song, a song Sienna had always loved. They waltzed around in time to the song, doing a few spins and turns that radiated elegance. 

" Wonderful!"Three led the applause as the song ended and they went back to the others. 

" Oh, damnit!"Sienna swore, as her bad knee acted up again. Five grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face him, asking if anything was wrong.

" I'll be fine, my knee is acting up a little bit, that's all. I'm not gonna fall. Whoa!"she added as she was suddenly picked up right off of her feet and was taken down to the medbay. Before she knew it, Five was using the handheld scanner to check her left knee for any problems. Sienna propped herself up on her elbows and swore under her breath as he gently palpated the sore area. 

Ten came in with Four. " What happened so that your knee was so damaged, Sienna?"

" Our last...escapade, Doctors."

" Lie down."Five put on his half moon glasses and concentrated. Sienna didn't want to see what he was going to do to her, so she obeyed him.

" With the Zygons and that other thing.... you, Ten, got blinded by the light and connected to that..thing, and we got into a fight with those sucker aliens. I took a turn too fast, skidded, and landed on that knee. Man, that son of a...b with an itch really hurts! I iced it last night and it was OK."

" You'd think that and I have no doubt that the pain did temporarily go away,"Five rolled up her pant leg. " But icing it only helped a little bit. These things take more time to heal."

" Hooo boy,"she winced in pain. " And now what do I do?"

" Not to worry, it's a mild sprain,"Five, assisted by his counterparts, began to splint her knee. " Anterior cruciate ligament injury, to be more exact. You have to keep the weight off the leg for a week, then ice it three times daily, no longer than twenty minutes. These supports will help you stay mobile. Just no stairs for a bit, all right?"she sat up, supported by her Doctor, just in time to see her pant leg being rolled down. Five handed her a pair of crutches and watched her anxiously as she began to position herself, shifting her weight. She slid once, on her foot, and nearly fell down again. Supported by Five and Ten, Four looked at her with affection. 

" All right now?"she grabbed the crutches and began to move about at a brisk pace. 

" I'll be OK,"her stomach growled. " It's lunchtime, my friends." 

Casting Four a sideways glance, she noted he was behaving a bit strangely towards her. Sienna resolved mentally to keep an eye on him, wanting to know what was going on behind those intense blue eyes. 

At lunchtime, Six endured more teasing about his crazy patchwork coat. Sienna and Sarah both mercilessly ribbed him until he turned red in the face, and right up into the roots of his hair. Two and Three began to argue about Archimedes, Four and Five were quiet, Six was trying to command Ten to try to control his companions. 

"You're a huge idiot if you think you can control them!"Ten was nearly weeping with laughter as the coat teasing went on. He pulled out a tissue and mopped his eyes, giggling helplessly. 

"You're a control freak!"Sarah exclaimed, instantly indignant. " I'd think my time with you would have done you some good!"

"Come on, Sarah," Sienna laughed. "Six, only dogs can hear those colors! I think you're the universal picture of GROSS!!!" 

Soon after lunchtime ended, Six went off in a huff as Four retreated into the library. Sienna tailed him, wondering still about his behavior. The sounds of Two and Three's arguing reached a loud volume, and she stalked off to try to mediate their dispute.

"What's the problem, here?" 

" Archimedes!"Two began to rattle off a string of incomprehensible terms to Sienna. She blinked, furrowing her brow. 

"Look!"she held up a hand as the fighting began again. " There's the Archimedes screw; he developed that displacement thing by jumping into a tub of water and watching as some spilled out! He then realized he was a genius and streaked the town square yelling, 'Eureka!' now can it!"

Both Doctors looked at her. " She's right."Three agreed. Sienna gave them a grin.

Two turned to face Three, then exclaimed, " But density is mass plus volume!"

" No it isn't! It's volume times the mass!"they were immediately at it again. Sienna tried to interrupt and say that Two was right, but they didn't hear her. It appeared to her that they enjoyed arguing more than anything else, tossed up her hands, then went away. She pulled a book out of the library, then settled in to read it. 

When she was done, she put the book down, then glanced at her watch. Remembering she wasn't wearing one, she flipped open her cell phone's LCD display, and saw it was half past three. Lunchtime had been late, so dinner would be too. The fighting sound had died down, and she wondered what happened. But first, she decided to take a stroll in the gardens. 

" Hello, Sienna!"Ten and Five were playing cricket. " Care to join?"

"Ahem!" she indicated the plastic crutches. "Duh, a no brainer, yes?" 

"Ooops!" Ten laughed and bowled. 

Sarah had joined Three and Two, managing to get them all talking about classic literature. Sienna went past, happy that they weren't arguing anymore. She found Six sitting down in the music room, relaxing in the slingback chair, eyes closed, as he listened to Vivaldi. Deciding not to interrupt his tranquil state, she went into the console room, where Four was sitting up against the wall. With a grunt, she joined him, putting her crutches down near her. 

"What's going on, Doctor?" 

He stared at the console, watching the time rotor column chug up and down. "Nothing. What do you mean?"

" You've been avoiding me all day. It's almost suppertime and usually, you talk to me."

" Have I?"

Getting nowhere with his current mood, she decided to change tack. "Put yourself in my shoes, Doctor. If someone you knew was avoiding you and making you feel very uncomfortable, what do you think you would do, hmm?"

He didn't reply for a moment, then turned his head to stare into her brown eyes. In the depths, he saw her tenacity, courage, humor, and he detected that today, she had some bewilderment and hurt in them. Picking up the edge of his scarf and plucking it, he cleared his mind and picked his words carefully before replying to her question. She saw he was nervous by his demeanor, then took her eyes off of his, meaning to make it as easy as possible to help him. 

" I had a dream, Sienna."

" Was it about me or something, that made you so....standoffish?"her hand clasped his, making him jump. " I'm not here to judge you."

" There's no good way to say it,"he sighed. " I had a dream that both of us...had formal relations."

That was like a slap in the face to her. A Time Lord shaken up over something like a dream! Carefully keeping her urge to laugh in check, she replied, " That's quite normal, Doctor."

" Time Lords don't have those kind of dreams!"he protested. 

" You're not the conventional Time Lord, I think you know it. You're very unique in every life, and you forget that you're half human. Why else would you be so embarrassed? I mean, are you disgusted you dreamt of me like that? Do I not fit into the Time Lord sexual scheme because I'm not one of you?"

"No!" 

"Did I wrong you in some way?"

" No!"he put his hands up, like he was surrendering. " I just... I'm not used to that sort of thing."

Biting her lip to keep herself composed, she managed to get herself up as he stood up. " It's OK. I'm flattered."

" Flattered about something like that?"

She grinned. "Doctor, it's a compliment to me and let's not go any farther than that." 

He returned the smile this time. "Agreed." 

Once she had gone into the safety of her room, she shut the doors tightly, threw herself onto her bed, and laughed until her stomach hurt.

****

That night after dinner, Sienna sat down in the gardens and watched everyone participate in a group game of cricket. She didn't know anything about the game, except it was horribly boring to her perspective. Laying back on the grass, she pulled out her cell phone and began to text message happy Christmases to everyone that she knew back home. Her friend Ruby instantly called her, and the two carried out a long conversation that lasted nearly three hours. 

"Time's up!" Two gestured to his comrades. They all came in off the playing meadow, then helped Sienna up to her feet. They all settled down for an hour before bedtime to sing carols. Five sat down at the piano as they all sat down in chairs nearby. 

"Joy to the world..." they all began to sing. 

"Joy to the world, some guy is dead," Sienna began, grinning. "We barbecued his head! What happened to his body, we flushed it down the potty, with a rope around his neck!" 

"That's horrible!" Six glared at her. 

"You don't like it? I got more!" she laughed. "Ricky the snowman was jolly horny soul, with a grape for a-"

" Sienna!"all Doctors shouted at her. 

" What's with the name Rick?"Sarah asked as they went to their rooms a few moments later.

"My best friend's ex boyfriend. All he wanted was a sex toy."she opened up the door. 

"Oh, dear. Did she get even with him?"

"I don't think so. They both went on and began to date others, he's a controlling little psycho and I wouldn't trust him as far as I can throw him." 

" That bad?"

"Bad enough. Good night, Sarah." 

"'Night." 

The TARDIS turned out the lights, whirring and wheezing along as her passengers slept on quietly.

In the morning around ten AM, Ten got up Sienna. When she finally arrived where the Christmas tree was in the library, she saw it had two small presents under it and nothing else. Grinning, Five handed Sienna hers, and Six gave Sarah hers.

"From all of us, literally." Two explained to them. 

They opened up the small boxes, each had a golden colored crystal in an oval shape attached to a long chain. Sarah watched hers catch the light as it twinkled in her hand. 

"They're so gorgeous," she smiled. "Thank you, Doctors." 

"They're artron energy fragments," Three explained. "Whenever you're in a bind and you need a way out, just blow into them. They'll light up, and you can focus the crystal's energy on to the foe. It'll stun the foe long enough so you can escape." 

"Wow!" Sienna allowed Six to put the necklace on her as Four did to Sarah. "Wonderful! We can't thank you enough." 

"Your companionship to us throughout the years is more than a gift to us, ladies," Six was being sincere. "We don't like traveling alone and we love to share our adventures." 

"Aw, thank you," Sienna pecked him on the cheek. "Even if we do rib you about your wardrobe. You guys go around, being the one who puts perspective in, and you always fight for truth and justice, no matter what. We will happily follow you anywhere." 

"Well," Five jumped in. "I think it's time we took our leave and went back into our timestreams. Goodbye, ladies." they all filed out after a flurry of goodbyes and good lucks from the TARDIS residents. 

"Where do we head now, Doctors?" Sarah leaned on the console. 

"Someplace we've not been before." the older Doctor's electric grin lighted up his face.

"Lord knows there are plenty of those places around the universe." Sienna remarked, folding her arms.  
END


	25. Murder on Gretious XGT

4/10/Sarah/Sienna

Action/Adventure/Mystery/Drama

Sarah groaned and opened up her eyes. She was lying in flatlands, surrounded by waist high grass and a cloudy blue sky. Looking down at herself, she saw she was caked with mud and some blood was on and around her. Sitting up with another groan, she noticed a prone form lying near her. Though her body ached for her to be still and remember what had happened to her, she put an arm out and rolled the form over so she could see the face. 

"Sienna!" she cried out, shaking her friend. Like Sarah, Sienna had mud and blood on her clothes as well. Opening up one eye, Sienna, behind her bloody face, moaned out loud for a good minute long. Lurching foward, she winced as she saw how both of them looked. 

"Murderers!" a high thin cry wailed out. Instincts taking over, Sarah began to belly crawl towards the edge of the woods they were about a hundred yards away from. Sienna followed her, unable to think clearly at the moment. Once they had attained their goal, they began to climb a sturdy pine tree, keeping well out of sight. 

Silently, hardly daring to inhale, they watched as many figures rushed into the small clearing. The leader looked around with a shotgun in his hands, wearing green pants and a white shirt. It looked like they were on earth, but both girls knew better than that. They were on a place that looked like earth. 

"Where did the girls go?" demanded the leader to his mob of people. "Answer me, damnit!" he screamed when no answer was uttered. 

"We don't know, viscount Trere." one girl, her blonde head in an empire braid, said in a low voice. 

Trere was no happy with that answer, obviously. "You let them escape us! Back to the castle and get more search parties going! They will pay for the foul deed of murdering my father!" he led the way, all disappearing from sight. 

Waiting a good five minutes longer, Sarah and Sienna painfully got down from the tree. Inwardly swearing at the pitch she had accumulated on her hands, Sienna watched them go. 

"What do they mean, we murdered what's-his-face's father? I don't remember a thing!" Sarah whispered. 

"I haven't got the foggiest clue," Sienna shivered, as it was starting to snow. "We could go back and I could slaughter them all with my guns." 

"Bad idea," a deep voice emanated from behind them. "If I were you two, I would settle down in that log cabin over there." 

"Doctor!" Sarah cried out in a half whisper. The older Doctor gazed at them and clucked in disapproval. 

"I don't know what has happened to either of you to look like that, but you'll remember in time. Come on." he led the way. 

In the cabin, they cleaned up and were issued medieval type clothes. The Doctor cleaned and dressed their wounds, barking to the native to bring them hot water and soap. Sienna stared into the fire as it got darker outside, huddling a bit closer as the cold threatened to chill her through. 

"What's going on, Doctor?" Sarah demanded, settling on the cot. "Why are they accusing us of murder?" 

"You mean you don't know?" the local man said contemptuosly. "Pah!" 

"Shut up!" Sienna barked, stirred from her revelry for a moment. The Doctor took her arm. 

"Hush, Sienna," he admonished. "Your Doctor would not like you to get excited so quickly." 

"Where is he? You've got to tell me!" she added, seeing him hesitate. 

"I can't tell you anything, but he is in no danger." 

"Always with the secrets," Sarah snorted. "So why are we all banged up then?" 

"Erm, all I can tell you at this point, is that you were summoned into the private presence of viscount Trere's father, Jonas, the ruler of this country. They call it ruler here instead of king," he told them. "There was a lot of screaming going on as the body was found, and you two thought it wise to take flight away from there right away. Last night, I don't know what happened to you, you'll have to come to that on your own. All I know now is that you've got mild frostbite and are near hypothermia. Wrap up with these blankets and go to sleep." 

"This doesn't click, Doctor," Sarah lay down as he fussed over her. "We wouldn't be so obtuse as to not have you both with us when we were summoned." 

"He gave express orders that you be presented to him with nobody else. Sleep now. Your mind will be more clear tomorrow." 

Resistance gone, the girls obeyed him. The Doctor sat up on his chair, looking at the old married couple watching him. He managed a grin and a wave, which they frowned at. Taking the woolen brown and red checked blanket, he wrapped up and dozed off himself.

He was awakened near dawn by a strange cry. The Doctor focused his blurry eyes onto the cots containing his comrades. He made out a cloaked stranger bending over Sarah, a bent knife glistened in his hand. To his horror, he could see it was already dripping with blood, and Sienna was lying on her cot with one arm dangling over the edge, a small pool of blood was collecting. 

"Hey!" the Doctor yelled out, jumping up. "Nobody messes with my friends!" 

"Strangers!" the man yelled out. "You do not belong here! You should not have killed Ruler Jonas!" 

"A little late for that now, aren't we?" the Doctor reasonably pointed out. "And more killing won't solve that problem, or bring him back." 

"Avenge!" 

"Avenge nothing!" the Doctor watched as the man threw Sarah aside and advanced on the Doctor, snarling like a dog. Sarah sneaked her arm towards Sienna's gunbelt, picked out one of her friend's magnums, then fired a shot into the man. He fell, but managed to drag himself to and out of the door. The Doctor watched, sighing heavily as the man got up and went away. He went over to find Sarah unharmed, but Sienna was a different story. He knelt down to check her pulse, which was fast and weak. 

"Sienna needs help. Look," he displayed her arm. "Cut dangerously close to her pressure point." 

"The artery that runs close to the surface?" 

"Very good, Sarah. If I can get her to the elite base, we can fix her up nicely. Look, she's already white faced from the bloodloss." he applied a bandage to keep any more blood from flowing, then picked her up. 

Sarah picked up their stuff, then followed the Doctor to the door. He stared down the couple, who were looking at them with a high and mighty contempt.

"You sent him here after us," his glare erased the smugness. "You will get your comeuppance." they left.

Sarah held up the hem of her green skirt as they crossed a bridge, keeping an eye out for any enemies. Her black bodice was too tight for her liking, as her white peasant blouse with the puffy sleeves hid her bandages. Ducks quacked and flapped their wings nearby as they left the bridge behind, following a very narrow path to the west. 

Sienna had been dressed in a black skirt with a red bodice and identical white peasant blouse. Sarah held onto Sienna's gunbelt and the bag with their regular clothes in it. The Doctor tramped along, grim faced. 

"Doctor, can we know what's going on now?" she tramped beside him dutifully. 

"Not yet Sarah, we're nearly there." 

"Where?" she shielded her eyes in the early morning sun. The Doctor knelt down in the grass, pulled up a hidden door, then went down into it. Sarah went in. A small tunnel had been dug, reeking of wet soil and dirt. He turned right, released another trapdoor, then handed Sienna up to someone, who took her. He helped Sarah out, then shut and locked the door behind him. 

"Sienna!" the younger Doctor picked her up. "What happened to her?" 

"A dawn attack by an assassin," the older Doctor mopped his brow. "I just woke up when I heard her scream in pain. She's badly off, she needs a transfusion." 

"Where would we get human blood around here?" 

"Uh, hello, I'm human!" Sarah waved her hand. "I'm also the universal donor. Pick me!" she said jokingly, trying to alleviate the tense atmosphere.

The younger Doctor took Sienna away, installing her on a bed. Sarah took the bed next to her friend's, and watched as the medical attendant set up the transfusion process. It was the same as the process back home, so she allowed her legs to be elevated, and she watched as the blood flowed down into the bag. 

"Brave thing, Sarah." her Doctor sat down in a chair near her. 

"It's necessary, Doctor, to help her." she turned her head towards Sienna. With his black framed glasses on, her Doctor was looking on as the attendant hooked Sienna up to a rehydration bag. 

"She wasn't too badly off in the dehydration part," he had a shaky grin on his face. "But we have to head it off just in case it becomes apparent she isn't hydrated properly." 

"Can we hear now what we did that caused us to become murderesses?"   
****

The Doctors glanced at each other. "Well," Sarah's Doctor began. "We landed here in hopes of locating our lost friend, Antony. He was the chief chancelor under Ruler Jonas. To our delight at first, we learned that Antony was going to succeed Ruler Jonas after he retired from the throne. We thought we arrived in time for the coronation ceremony, but that wasn't it at all." 

"Antony led us to the secret throne room," Sienna's Doctor took up the narrative. "And he showed us the cold hard facts. Ruler Jonas was suffering from a paranoid dementia, which has passed on to his son, Trere." 

"How does that account for us being murderesses and being chased like swine?" Sarah asked. "Your story has some gaps in it, Doctors." 

"You have to fill them in, girls," a tall slender man, which Sarah supposed was Antony, spoke up. "All we know is that you both were summoned to his private presence, he liked young women like you two, and that's it." 

"Okay, and how do we do that?" 

"After sundown, we lead you into the castle through the catacombs, bring you to the room Ruler Jonas was murdered in, and then hopefully, you will remember." 

"All right," Sarah agreed. "In the meantime, I guess we keep low and quiet, eh?" 

"For the time being. Clearing you girls of murder is our first priority. The next is getting the townsfolk to see that Antony is a good upstanding citizen and would be perfect for the throne." 

"But what about Trere?" 

"He has already begun to develop the madness," Antony said sadly. "He is incapable of running our country." 

"But he is rich and powerful," Sarah's Doctor checked on the blood bag. "And people are easily swayed by bribery." 

"Wherever there is a government, there is corruption." 

"Astute, Sarah, astute." 

"Thank you, Doctor." she grinned. 

When the bag was filled, Sarah was freed, the bag was attached to Sienna's arm, and it began to flow in steadily.

"How long before she can come up and join us?" Sarah put her legs down and sat up unsteadily. 

"Ohhhh, I give it a couple of hours," Sienna's Doctor drawled in the tone that was disguised as careless, but she knew that he was really worried. "She'll be up and scowling at me in no time." 

"In the meantime," the Doctor put his hat away, draping his scarf over an adjacent chair. "I suggest we all get some rest, as our sleep was disturbed by the assassin." 

Sarah agreed, and the Doctors went off to a couple of beds near their friends. Antony left as well. Sarah pulled up the blanket, woven with cotton wool and a bit itchy for her taste, and felt her body get comfortably warm. 

The elite base was a large cavernous structure, one big room with marble pillars around it. In the middle of the room, a large screen dominated, featuring a large keyboard with big buttons to match. The roof was domed, grayish white light filtered through the very center of it down onto the big screen monitor. The marble was beautifully sculpted, with scenes from the planet's past engraved on every surface. A particularly large engraving attraced Sarah's weary eye, she wondered if it was a coat of arms from the royal family. 

Across the way, more beds were set up, some were occupied, some were not. More people in medieval style clothing milled around, running off to their duties or just walking. Torches of fire were put into brass holders to light the area more efficiently, giving the place an eerie feel to it. 

"Pardon me, my ladies," Sarah and Sienna turned from watching the games. A page was standing there, looking at them calmly. " His majesty wants to see you both in his private quarters." 

"He's been so kind to us, we must go." Sarah remarked, getting up and following the page. Sienna followed, inwardly cursing at the dress that had been foisted off on her by her Doctor. 

Outside the door, the page let them in and walked away. Ruler Jonas was sitting on his brass polished chair, eyeing them both with anything but a happy gaze. Sarah, in her yellow and green bodice dress, and Sienna in her blue and purple one, looked at him warily. Each were wearing their own clothes underneath the dresses, Sienna had her gunbelt on, for emergencies. Even the Doctors didn't know she was wearing it, but Sarah did. 

"What are we here for, then?" Sienna asked casually, adopting her Doctor's easy demeanor and ready smile. 

Ruler Jonas stared at her with something akin to hunger in his eyes. "I brought you here because I like you both."

"You could of told us after the fight match," Sarah was annoyed. 

"I like you both," he repeated himself, turning his gaze to Sarah now. "And also because of those Doctors you travel with. They are here, are they not?"

"Somewhere."Sienna said idly, not alluding to anything else. 

"Where are they?" he demanded. "Where are your friends, and what have you done with them, witches?!"

"Now that's taking it a bit too far," Sienna had a short fuse when it came down to name calling. "No need for that juvenile put down bullcrap."

"Your Doctors and you both are out to get me!" he proclaimed. "Every interloper has an agenda!"

"Would it be so wrong if we had a good agenda, which will help your people?" Sarah studied the lean face, of which restless green eyes peered.

"Impossible! There's no such thing as a good agenda here!" he sputtered. "Everyone plots to overthrow me!"

"Look, we don't want to interfere in your system of government, we just want to help you make it better. If we get to do that, you'll be happier, and your subjects will be too."Sienna tried to soothe him, without much luck.

Ruler Jonas pulled out a flask and pulled at it heavily. When he was done, he stared at the girls a bit longer, trying to make up his mind. 

"What is that stuff?" Sarah inquired, giving him her flirtatious smile. 

"Laudanum," he belched loudly, making everyone jump. "Helps keep me calm."

"That stuff!" Sienna exclaimed. "That'll make you worse. It doesn't help any."

"What would you know about it, witch?" he sneered. 

Mentally collecting herself, Sienna replied, "All right, I am a witch. I'm a good witch, and I know more about this stuff than you do. Laudanum is an opiate, inclined to sedate. It will make your paranoia worse, you will feel dizzy and disoriented. Even worse are the withdrawal symptoms."

"How do you know?" Sarah whispered.

"I read a lot of books, and I'm a fan of Horatio Hornblower," Sienna whispered back. "I saw the series where Captain Sawyer goes mad, and it was a lot like this."

"Oh,"the books were familiar to Sarah, but she'd never read them. "So, Ruler Jonas, will you give up that stuff? You'll feel better after a bit."

"Witches!" he thundered. "I will not give in to your demands!"

"Have it your way, then."Sienna marched towards the door. 

"Wait,"he called out. "I am a lonely old man, my wife died four years ago. I want some company. Female company."

Ruler Jonas shifted in his chair with a lustful grin on his face. Sarah and Sienna's eyes widened, then they both promptly dashed out of the door. 

"Guards!" the voice from within called. "Trere!"

Before they both knew it, they were seized by a rough glove around each of their necks. Seeing Trere there, who was grinning sardonically. Opening up the door, he pushed the girls in, shut, and locked the door up tight. 

Sarah woke up, uttering a gasp. She sat up, remembering where she was, then raked her hair back down. The grayish light from the dome had dissipated, telling her it was nighttime above. Hearing her, her Doctor came to her side, asking what was wrong. 

"A d-dream..."

His blue eyes lit up. "You mean you remember some of what went on?"

She nodded. "A little."Sarah related the dream to her Doctor.

****

A few minutes later, the Doctor furrowed his brow, wondering. Sarah got up and freshened up the best she could. Still in her dress, she took a shawl one lady had offered her, and wrapped herself up with it. She looked over at Sienna, who was awake and preparing to go as well. 

"Sienna, are you well enough to go by yourself?"she asked. 

"Yeah," her friend answered hesitantly, making sure her gunbelts were accessible underneath the dress. "I heard you narrate your dream. I don't remember it yet, but I'm sure yours is more accurate than mine."

Antony appeared in front of his friends. "My friends, I see that you are ready to go underneath the castle. Need I remind you that you are on dangerous ground and will be confronted by numerous guards along the way?"

"Got that in mind," Sienna's Doctor grinned. "Thanks for the reminder, though."

Antony returned the grin. "The remainder of us will go ahead and formulate new ways to improve the village under new royal rule. Be careful out there."

"Sienna gets to stay here," her Doctor announced loudly. She turned and glared at him. "Come now! You almost went into cardiac arrest out there already. I need you here to recuperate some more."

"Don't undermine me, Doctor!"she lashed out at him. "Who knows my own health better than me?"

He frowned, put his hands on his hips in a school teacherish sort of way. "I do, Sienna. I don't want you to get hurt and bleed nearly to death again. You'll stay here and that's final!"

Turning around, she stalked off across the cavern until they could no longer see her. The Doctors and Sarah disembarked the cavern and entered a series of tunnels on the map Antony had given them. 

Navigation proved difficult with the lack of lighting underground. Sarah was constantly tripping over her own skirt and nearly once pitched into her Doctor, who had to stop short. The younger Doctor aimed the light of his sonic screwdriver on to the map to read it, then steered them in that direction. He was obviously still worried that Sienna had suffered more damage than what her body could take, thus banning her from joining them. Sarah trusted him to make the right decision, but they all knew that Sienna often suffered from backlash of any kind. 

They trudged on for almost an hour in complete silence. Sarah heard the whirring of the sonic screwdrivers and a rusty metal door opened up. Happy that she didn't need to crouch anymore, she entered into the room and looked at the catacombs. 

Dust and cobwebs everywhere, she could see faintly pillars and doors marking all kinds of rooms. Wooden slats adorned the far wall, with rectangular boxes laid among each shelf. 

"What are those?" she went nearer to one.

"Get back, Sarah!" her Doctor took her arm. "The resting place of the royal families throughout the centuries."

"Like a mausoleum?" he nodded. "Why would they be here instead in the church ones?"

"Because," the younger Doctor read his map. "We're right under the royal monument, which is a mausoleum of sorts."

"Makes sense then." Sarah admitted, and they walked on.

The older Doctor picked up a pine branch from a brass fitting on the wall, then picked up two stray pieces of a quartz rock. Sarah held the stick as he banged the rocks together, emitting sparks, which he blew on to stoke them up. Soon, he had a blazing torch to help light the way. Sarah picked up another stick and lit her torch off of his, and they set out again. 

"All righty!" they came to an end with a decayed wooden door. "Just past this and we're in the backyard of the castle."

The door was rotted almost all the way through, so the Doctor simply covered his hand in his long brown overcoat, and punched it through. Finding the knob by his fingers, he turned it and kicked the door open with a squeak on the ancient hinges. Filing in, they wound their way among the secret passageways until they came to the room Sarah remembered from her dream.

"It was here!" she saw the chair Ruler Jonas had sat in, and nothing else. A blood spatter on the floor near the entranceway caught her eye. 

"It is a shame Sienna isn't here," the older Doctor scowled at his younger looking self. "Remember, she's more sensitive to psychic residue?"

His younger self blushed. "I wanted her alive and there is such a thing as overdoing it!"

"Never mind that!" he snapped. "I'm not insulting Sarah, but I do wish you'd listen to reason sometime. Disallowing Sienna to come when we clearly needed her sensitive abilities to read psychic residue is clearly stupid, and you know it!"

"I want her to be safe!"

"You want to tape her up in bubble wrap and put her in the closet so she'll always be safe!"

"Will you two stop it!" Sarah shouted. "I can't remember a damn thing here, thanks to your bickering! Why don't you go to the henhouse and hen peck with all the others?"she stood up and glared them both down. 

At the same time, Antony was checking his data over the console. Sienna wandered near him, eyeing the big etching on the pillar that Sarah had spied earlier. 

"Like it?"Antony turned to see her there. "Royal family's royal seal."

"It's huge."

"Just a big relief etching, that's all," he joined her. "Legend has it that the first Ruler of our planet found it inscribed in rock, way down in the Secret City."

"The what?"

"A city full of secrets, Sienna. Our first of kin, or ancestors as you call them, lived down there."

"Really?"

"Yes," he sighed. "Pity nobody can get down there. The Secret City was abandoned after the Oppressors were defeated and we could live on the surface world again. It is a real shame."

"Why can't anyone get down there?"

"The entrance is underwater, guarded by sea serpents and the like. According to the Old Ancient Rites, a person could claim royalty if they present the Seal Of the Royal and High Old Order of Gretious XGT."

"Well then, where's that? In the Secret City?"

"Yes, somewhere. Nobody has been able to get past the water monsters, though,"he sighed. "And so our world is ruled by a young madman."

"Oh, no. There's hope for you guys! Come on, let's go get that seal!"

"Just a moment! What about your friends?"

"They'll never notice! Besides, what makes you so sure the villagers will accept your....campaign?"

His eyes widened as Sienna revealed her real clothes to him. "Gosh, I never thought about it."

In her combat gear and hiking boots, Sienna scribbled off a note to the Doctors, grabbed Antony's arm, then disappeared down the tunnels.

****

"Let's go and see the medicine man if he's here," the older Doctor suggested, walking down a spiral staircase from a tower. "We need to see what Ruler Jonas has suffered in order to require so many doses of that opiate."

"The apothecary? Righto." the younger Doctor agreed, guiding Sarah along. Once outside the castle, they asked for the apothecary at a villager's house, then were sent off. The older Doctor wrinkled his nose at the rank stink emitting from the house, many herbs and some unpleasant odors were wafting up from all corners. The wife of the apothecary showed them in graciously, calling for her husband to come downstairs. 

"Good Lord!" Sarah muted her voice. "They all live in such filth like this?"

"Ruler Jonas's reign was to keep all the money himself and let his peasants live in squalor and disease like this."the younger Doctor said in a low tone of voice. 

"So the elite are like Robin Hood!"

"Who is this robbing of the hood?"the apothecary, a short wizened old husk of a man, ambled down the stairs. Sitting at the table, he lit a pipe and exhaled a choking cloud of smoke at his guests. 

"Nothing, just some lively chitchat,"the younger Doctor took over the talking. "So, how long you been treating Ruler Jonas's ailment?"

The old man squinted through the smokescreen and exhaled another cloud. "Many months, since Ruler 'ad the fall off his favorite horse."

"Ah! That explains it. Have you been giving him laudanum?"

"Aye."

"Ever since the accident?"

"Nay, he were all right a few weeks after, but came to my house, begging for more of da old drug."

"Makes sense. He became addicted."they stood up. 

"Diction?"

"Addiction, when one becomes too attached to a substance and uses it without need," the older Doctor clarified. "You allowed him to become addicted because he paid you for it. Neither of you realized what detrimental effect it had on his overall health!"

"Nay, sair, it not me!" the apothecary protested. "Me wife 'ad her nose in my affairs and gave da Ruler all he wanted!"

"You lie!"he accused. "What about his son, Trere?"

"Son, sair?"

"Yes, him! Is he on the laudanum as well?"

The apothecary hesitated as his wife came out of the back room. "Ah, Trere!" she cried out. "Was a good lad in 'is day, comin' in here all da time to spend a few hours with me. As he growed up, he forgot about me!"

"You know him?"

"Ah, aye!" Sarah approached the old crone.

"Is he mad?"

The old lady fixed her with such an intense stare, Sarah thought she was reading her mind. "Mad! He got it into his head about power and money!"

"So he became....stuck up?"

"Stuck up?"

"Looking down on you because you were not of his class."

Class was the right word, the wife looked at her husband with a withering glance. "Oh, aye! He went mad with power, 'bout bein' the viscount of 'is dad, who were a count before he were king!"

"Doctors, are we done?"

"Yes, Sarah," they left the house, and the older Doctor started to giggle. "Isn't it odd the way they pronounce some Hs in their sentences and not others?"

"It adds up," the younger Doctor thought aloud. "Ruler Jonas, being in need of help, paid the apothecary after the accident. The old man put him on laudanum to get him addicted and a steady income for his wife and him!"he glared at nothing in particular. 

"But their house is the same as everyone else's."

"Appearance, Sarah, appearance. I'm sure they have a back room with all their treasures others can't afford."

"Dawn is nearly breaking,"Sarah saw the warm orange glow over the horizon. "Where to now?"

"Back to the elite cavern before we're spotted!" they consulted the map, found the quickest route, and entered the tunnels again. 

The route was much faster than the one they had taken before. Hustling along, guided by the sonic screwdriver's light, they found the entranceway to the elite cavern and opened it up. Sarah went away to wash and change, the older Doctor dusted off his clothes and went to scrub his face. The younger Doctor looked around for Sienna, an apology on his lips. 

"Any luck, sirs?" he recognized the female. 

"Not much, Laresh,"Sienna's bed was empty. "Where is my friend and companion?"

Laresh, a smart black haired lady, stammered a little bit as the older Doctor and Sarah went over to them.

"Where is she?" he asked evenly. 

"She and Antony....they are gone, Doctors."

****

"WHAT!"

Laresh flinched under his explosion. "I heard them when they were talking. He mentioned our ancient past, the Secret City and the fact nobody has gotten past the lake monsters to get into it."

"And she took Antony with her?" the younger Doctor expostulated. "For Rassilon's sake!"

"What is the Secret City?" the older Doctor took Laresh away from the younger Doctor's fury. Sitting down with him and Sarah, Laresh began to explain.

"The Secret City is from our first of kin."

"Ancestors,"he nodded. "Go on."

"Our first of kin lived on the surface world at first. The Oppressors came and the first of kin established an underground city. They called it Secret City, where they could live until the Oppressors were gone. When they did go, the second of kin came out, not bothering to take items of historical significance. They revolutionized the society here, but after most of the first of kin had died, they brought back the old ways. Many have tried to get to the old Secret City, but have died because the entranceway is underwater, and savage beasts patrol."

"Right where Sienna and Antony are heading," the Doctor grimly acknowledged. "But why?"

"There is a relic of our ancient past, the Seal Of the Royal and High Old Order of Gretious XGT. If that is presented to the chancelor council head, the grand minister, he will appoint that bearer the new Ruler."

"Makes sense," Sarah got up. "Thank you, Laresh, for your help."

"Anything I can do to help Antony regain the throne," Laresh modestly spoke. "To give our land and our people the treatment they truly deserve."

"Laresh,"the younger Doctor, having worked out his anger, came over to her. "I don't understand, I thought Antony was next in line for the throne, him having the highest office."

"You were mistaken, Doctor. There are council chancelors, Antony is the chief of them, but he reports to the grand minister. He is the second in command, if the grand minister becomes incapacitated, he would rule."

"Okay."he spun on his heel and walked around. 

"The grand order of hierarchy!" the Doctor said to himself moments later. "Integrating a government and a royal family all in one! Nobody knows where the other sits, and all that!"

"Doctors, shouldn't we go and get Sienna?" Sarah ventured.

"Sienna will be fine, Sarah. In the meanwhile, we have got to get to the bottom of what killed Ruler Jonas."

"But Sienna and Antony! In the lake with those monsters that could probably-" her Doctor signaled her to be quiet. 

Antony slogged through the jungle, watching as Sienna loped ahead of him. Both came to a standstill at a picturesque waterfall, the rushing sound filling up their ears as ducks quacked nearby, then going downstream. Odd looking fish swam and leaped out of the water, plunging back in. 

"Gorgeous,"Sienna exhaled. "Where's the beasties that cause all the trouble?"

"Down there in the depths," Antony pointed out the snakelike bodies. "They're not flesh eaters, but they'll attack if provoked."

"And provoking them is getting into the underwater tunnel of the Secret City?"

"Seems to be, at any rate."

"Okay, we go in. Follow my moves, all right?" Sienna leapt into the water, executing a neat swan dive. Antony followed her, wary. 

He steered her in the direction of the tunnel, behind the waterfall. The pressure was too great and they kept getting forced back. Sienna frowned, went up for another breath of air, then grabbed a big rock off of an underwater ledge. She kicked the rock away, holding on to it as it sank down to the bottom. The great serpent like monster, with a hard shelled back, looked like a giant tortise, except for the snakelike neck. It raised it's head and looked at her, blinking away the sleep. Sienna swam over to it, trying to aggravate it, but it was very docile. 

Frustrated, she swam over to it's head, whipped out her clenched fist, and socked it in one eye. With a roar of fury, it charged past her, ready to strike. Sienna grabbed a hold of it's small tail as it passed her by. Antony clung to the tail as well, watching as Sienna repeatedly aggravated the beast. 

The beast swam harder and harder, zapping into the tunnel quickly, and before they knew it, they had entered the Secret City. 

Sienna exhaled, then panted a little bit. Antony grabbed her and she saw the beast was about to charge them full on. They both headed for a rocky cliff, vaulting up on to it as the beast rammed it's head into the wall nearby. 

"Look!" Antony took Sienna's hand as she pulled herself up, both saw the beast charge the wall. A huge slab of limestone had broken free, it fell and hit the beast's tail. The beast squealed with pain and rage, then disappeared into the water again. 

"Wow. With size comes clumsiness." she giggled as they got down from the cliff face, and entered the ancient city. 

"Oh, wow..."

Antony stopped short as well. Secret City had been erected in a huge limestone cave, many of the buildings were built out of it. On a small hill overlooking the dwellings, a slightly bigger limestone house sat. 

Thousands of years had taken it's toll, many of the small houses were collapsed in, wooden bridges had decayed and the frayed rope had snapped in many places. Paths had been hewed out of the rock sides of the cave, here and there, sunlight came in out of little holes on the sides. Antony and Sienna began to walk down the center, marveling in quiet awe at the beauty still there. 

"This is one hell of a nice place," Sienna peered into the ancient stone buildings. "A house of limestone!"

"Very much so," Antony said proudly. "During the time of the Oppressors, the first of kin built this place on a massive scale. Women for hundreds of years had their children down here."

"Who were your oppressors, Antony?"

"They called themselves the Kraals. They needed a mineral our planet had in excess, and they mined it for hundreds of years. So, we mounted an attack, repelled them, and now they're gone."

"Never heard of them. How did you defeat 'em, anyway?" she picked up a rock and threw it. 

"We contaminated their water with secretions from that beast we came in on. Killed them off very fast."

Sienna made a face. "Yuck. Well, I guess the ancient seal would be up there, at that house?" she pointed to the house on the small hill.

"Yes, I believe so," Antony walked along with her to the hill that was looming up before them. "We have to mount that bridge to get across."

"What the-oh!" she jumped back from the edge, noticing a very deep chasm. Antony picked up the rope that was tied to the post, and began to inch his way along the rope bridge. Sienna held on to both of the rope edges, walking along nonchalantly. 

"You don't look too nervous."

"I don't because I have nothing to fear," Sienna stated. "Being positive in all respects can help decrease nervousness and such."

"I shall have to remember that, Sienna." they walked out into the middle of the bridge, where the creaking wood sound grew even more louder. Sienna convulsively clutched the rope in her hands, noticing that Antony did too. 

All of a sudden, something snapped at Sienna's back. She turned around angrily, then saw what looked like a winged cat, hissing and yowling at them.

"Antony!"

"What?" he didn't turn around.

"Did you leave out the little bit of where the Kraals left their genetic experiments behind? This is worse than the Krillitanes!"the flying feline made another diving pass.

"Run!" Antony shouted, pushing Sienna ahead of him. "I'll deal with it."

Sienna was in no mood to argue. She dashed ahead, hearing Antony behind her, grunts and swears issuing from him. 

****

"Right, the first thing we need to do is to find Ruler Jonas's body,"the younger Doctor paced around the elite cavern. Sarah and her Doctor, sitting on chairs, watched him as he puzzled his way through his mind. "We need to conduct an autopsy."

"What? Why?"

"To find out what killed him!" he came up to her. "Great Rassilon, Sarah, are you daft? I know you're not," he turned back around. "Sorry, if I snap at you, I'm just a little upset Sienna would leave us like that."

"It's OK, Doctor,"an idea flashed in her mind. "Why don't you try to hypnotize me? Might bring something back?"

The older Doctor stood up. "Great idea, Sarah!"

She smiled uncertainly. "I try my best."

"Good. You two do that and I'll take notes."the younger Doctor sat down with a pencil and paper he'd pulled out of his brown overcoat pockets. 

"Look into my eyes, Sarah," the older Doctor directed her. "You will only respond to the sound of my voice. On the count of three, you will fall into sleep and let your subconscious speak through you."

On the count of three, Sarah's eyes closed and she lay back on the bed. Her Doctor situated himself at her side, poised to ask questions.

"You are in Ruler Jonas's room, you and Sienna. He has asked to see you, Sienna has made the discovery he was addicted to a drug. Trere has just taken you both back into the room with the Ruler and himself. What happened next?"

"He asked us if we wanted to have some fun." Sarah's flat tone of voice responded.

"Sexual fun?"

"Yes."

"Did you both resist?"

"Yes."

"Go on, tell me everything."

"Ruler Jonas and Trere told us they used to-share women. Trere liked Sienna, Jonas liked me. We were summoned by the page to enter his quarters and there, Sienna discovered his drug addiction. It helped to make him very paranoid, assuming we were witches. After we left, Trere brought us back in, where they told us about their...exploits on young women. They said we would be forced to comply to their every whim, or we would wind up like all the others."

"What happened to all the others, Sarah?"

"Torture. They would drug and rape the girls, then carry out their insatiable bloodlust in the torture room. Sienna pulled out one of her guns, threatening them to let us go or she'd kill them."

"Just like Sienna to do that." the younger Doctor muttered. 

"Just like the chancelor council to do that, allow bribery and let a sexual predator take the throne," the older Doctor grunted. "What else, Sarah? Who killed him?"

"Nobody, Doctor. Sienna and I were made to kneel while Trere had his sword over my neck. Ruler Jonas had some sort of attack, where he lay on the ground, silent afterwards. Trere believed that we were witches, he had to go to his father and check him over. That's when Sienna and I jumped up and fled the castle."

"So it was nobody's fault after all. The laudanum brought on an apoplexy," he mused. "How did you get so bloody?"

"Two guards caught up with us as we fled the village," Sarah's monotone voice continued. "They roughed us up, but Sienna shot them with her guns and we got away. In the middle of the grassland, we collapsed for awhile to sleep."

"It all makes sense," he said in a hushed whisper. "Sarah, you can wake up now. Open your eyes."

She did as commanded, and let out a small sigh. "Tell me."

"Apparently Ruler Jonas and Trere were sexual predators. They wanted to have their ways with you both. When you refused, Trere was about to behead you both in front of his father, when he suffered an attack of apoplexy and died."

"Well now, so we have nothing to fear."

"Try convincing Trere of that. He is a liar and you know our only option now?"

"Wait until Sienna gets back?"

"No, we try to overthrow Trere and his minions by turning the village against him."

"That's very..."

"Nineteen sixties?" he supplied. "No, I attended some of the peace rallies, but we didn't overthrow anyone. At any rate, I don't think we'll have much opposition, Sarah. The peasants are in filth and disease, they deserve better than that!"

"I'm surprised by your vehemence, Doctor."

He sighed. "It's not easy to visit planets and see good people being taken advantage of in any way, or living like animals."

The younger Doctor agreed. "A cruel injustice. We must get up to the village and rally people's defenses."

"I'm with you, Doctors." Sarah stood up. 

"Laresh!" the lady, weaving her hair into a knot at the back of her head, looked up from the console. 

"Yes, Doctors?"

"Tell Sienna when she gets back that we're going to rally up an overthrow of Trere and his cronies."

"It will be done, Doctor."

"Good girl." they left for the surface.

Sienna plunged on to the ground, executing a neat shoulder roll and turning to face Antony. Pulling out one of her magnums, she aimed and fired, tearing a hole in it's leathery wing. The creature squawked and made a nosedive for her angrily, losing altitude. Sienna rolled out of the way, fired another shot, which tore another hole in it's wing. The creature spun around and dug it's claws into her shoulders, trying to fly off with her. Antony threw a right hook, landing it in the creature's right eye, making it drop it's hold on Sienna. 

Lying on the ground for a moment, Sienna watched as Antony picked up a clod of dust and flung it into the creature's eyes. With a deafening screech, the creature retreated hastily. Antony went over to Sienna and helped her up, eyes wide at the blood which had already stopped flowing. 

"OK, Sienna?"

"I will be soon," she answered, gritting her teeth. "Damn, that smarts!"

"Dug all it's talons into you, didn't it?" he dug out of his pocket a clean rag and began to try to attend to her, but she waved him off. 

"We better get into that house and find the seal before that thing gets back, OK?"

"All right then." he got up and led her into the limestone house. Several skeletons greeted them, the bare white bone smiles grim in the dusty surroundings. 

"Nice welcoming committee here."

Antony paused, hearing a sharp cracking sound. Before he knew it, the wooden beam holding up the second floor had collapsed, raining wooden shards and random objects. Sienna heard it as well, then dropped down, covering up her head with her hands, curling into a ball.

****

Getting out into the middle of the village, the Doctors and Sarah had shouted all they had found out of the Ruler Jonas and Trere until they were hoarse. The apothecary, wondering at the disturbance, walked to the back of his house, and opened up the door. A room decorated with rich mahogany wood and oak paneling, and golden sculptures adorned the walls. 

Among the furnishings were four uniformed guards, who looked up from their casual card gambling as the old man entered. 

"Three fools are trying to start an uprising." was all he had to say. The four guards had quickly surrounded the Doctors and Sarah, who were still bellowing. 

"Ruler Jonas is a predator of women!" the young Doctor shouted out.

"He abuses and sexually rapes the women of this village! Join our uprising and overthrow his son, Trere!"

"Trere tried to rape me and my friend!" Sarah added. "If you want your girls to walk freely in the streets, come with us and get Trere overthrown!"

One guard took a small vial with a cork stopper from his pocket and threw it to the ground. Smoke erupted, causing the three to choke and sputter, their eyes watering. Sarah collapsed first, followed by the Doctors. The guards smirked, then carried their prisoners to the cart, which took them to the castle. 

The sound of a door slamming brought the younger Doctor out of his sleep. He moaned and straightened up, finding himself in a cell with the other Doctor and Sarah still asleep. His head swam and he leaned against the wall, hoping he hadn't suffered any ill effects from whatever had happened to them. The room was dark, dank, and stank of old musty hay that was scattered on the floor. To his relief, they were not shackled, so he could get up and wander around if he wanted to. Going over to Sarah, he gently shook her shoulders, coaxing her to wake up. 

She moaned, her eyelids fluttered, then focused on the Doctor. "Doctor! What happened?"

"Unless I miss my guess," he helped her sit up. "Guards overpowered us and brought us here."

"Ugh," she rubbed the back of her head. "I'm so dizzy."

"Me too. I imagine we'll be lucid for only a few moments before we pass out again." they sat back together. 

The older Doctor gradually came to his senses, looking around before he sat up, blinking rapidly to try to clear the dizziness from his head. The effort only made him more dizzy, so he sat beside Sarah and put his head in his hands. 

She snaked her hand over and rubbed his back. "It's OK, Doctor. We both feel it too."

"No, Sarah," he moaned. "I'm a Time Lord, different if only slightly, physiology from you."

"So? What's bothering you?"

"My lungs are quite irritated. There must have been some Praxis five range chemical gasses in there,"his breathing turned raspy. "I'll be all right, I'll slip into a coma and my body will heal itself."

"All right."he closed his eyes and became comatose. Sarah studied the younger Doctor.

"Why aren't you affected?"

"I've been exposed to all kinds of gasses, Sarah,"he grinned cheekily. "I developed an immunity to P5 somewhere in my eighth life."

"Interesting."

"Isn't it?" he teased. 

"Every day is an education with you two!"

Antony coughed, the dust was settling thickly into the air. "Sienna?" he threw the debris off of him, then went to where she was. Sienna groaned loudly, stirring herself up. She brought up her knees and kicked away a beam that hung over her, getting clear of the wreckage. 

"Are you all right?" he saw the dried blood from the talon marks and dust congealing in it. 

"Fine, fine,"she turned to survey the mess. "So where is the seal?"

"Let me see....seal was kept in a locked box in above the fireplace." he recited. Sienna turned and looked at the fireplace, rapping at the limestone structure. Antony turned and looked around some more as Sienna found a crack she could fit her fingers in to, then began to pry it out. Antony brought out a small pen, wedged it into the gap, and levered it out so the stone fell to the floor with a loud sound. The dust rose, Sienna began to sneeze uncontrollably. 

"You OK?"he pulled out the box. 

"I was wondering why this hadn't happened sooner," she managed to say. "I'm allergic to dust."

"I got the box, let's go out of this house and check it. The dust out there won't be too bad for you?"

"No. That dust is settled and won't bother me too much." Antony guided her out of the room, box under his arm. Once outside, Sienna honked into a tissue, then looked around. Drawing a deep breath, she nodded and together, they tried to pry the lock off the box. Sienna shot the lock off with one of her guns, Antony wedged the pen into the opening and forced it open. 

"Oh my god," Sienna gasped as he drew out a golden square, about six inches at the top and nine inches at the sides. "It's embossed in silver!"

"Holy...." Antony thrust the seal in the pocket of his jacket, securing it. "We'd best scram before that creature comes back to fricasee us."

"Agreed." with a smile, Sienna allowed Antony to guide her back to the rope bridge. 

Halfway across, the dreaded happened. The rope snapped, forcing them to stand on the edges of the wooden slats and moving sideways to get to the other end. Sienna saw another rope about to snap, so she accepted Antony's hand, who was past the point, just as the rope snapped. She managed to retain her cool as the bridge plunged down, but it slammed hard against the rocky cliff face, slamming her left leg on a sharp point, causing her to scream. 

"Sienna!" Antony climbed up, helping to pull her up as well. She used her hands and her good leg to give herself leverage, crawling up and getting over the cliff face. When she found herself on solid ground again, she lay down with a small sigh. 

Antony delicately explored her puncture wound, using his clean rag to bind it up with. Sienna did not object to it, it seemed to her like every part of her clothing and body was thoroughly saturated with blood now. 

"Will you be okay enough to get back to the elite cavern?" Antony knotted the rag securely. "We have a medtech who can stitch up your wound."

"Sounds good," Sienna gritted her teeth. "As long as it stops bleeding."

"OK then. I believe there's a shortcut to the surface around here somewhere..."

Sienna looked up, aimed with one of her guns, spying a window with a direct path to it. She blew through the glass and grinned at Antony. "There's our exit."

"Girl," Antony shook his head. "You're unlike any other girl I've ever met before."

She laughed through her pain. "I suppose that's a good thing. If I was like every other girl you met, then the real me wouldn't surprise you at all now, would I?"

"Good point." he helped her towards the exit.

Once they got themselves out of the hole, they found themselves on the very top of the waterfall. Climbing down, they found the beast they had tormented sunning itself on a big flat rock. 

"Hoo boy,"Antony whispered. "We need to get past it."

"Any other way down from the falls?"

They began to scout out the area, finding a newly strung bridge down to the grasslands. They followed it, then went to the entrance to the elite cavern.

****

Sienna rapped on the door, then allowed herself to be taken with a medtech, who numbed her wound with a local anesthetic and stitched it up for her. He bandaged it properly, then told her to be careful. Her injury wasn't deep, but it was a bother. 

"Laresh, where's the Doctors and Sarah?" Antony inquired. 

"They are in the castle, where you will be going." her voice sounded. 

"How did you-"a castle guard appeared and apprehended the chief chancelor. "Traitor!"

Sienna heard the cry, recognizing it as a warning. She edged close to the main cavern, seeing Laresh and the guard with Antony. Checking to see if her gun had emptied out all her bullets, she slapped a new clip in, loaded it properly, then took aim. Both hands clutched a gun, she sprang out from her hiding place, shooting down the guard. Laresh watched as the guard fell down. Antony went to Sienna's side, demanding to know why Laresh had betrayed them. 

"Simple,"she smirked and Sienna tensed up, ready to pump the broad with lead. "It pays to betray."

"It pays with your life!" Sienna fired a single shot into Laresh's stomach. She fell with a gasp, looking up into Sienna and Antony's face as they walked to her.

"Why would you not shoot me in the heart?" she sneered. 

Sienna knelt down with a smug grin. "What, don't you know a shot in the gut is the slowest and most painful way to die?"

Laresh's eyes nearly bugged out. "It is?"

"Yup. Eventually that bullet will sever your abdominal aorta, making your heart pump more and more to compensate for the loss until it stops completely. All in about under a minute."

Antony and Sienna left for the surface, leaving Laresh to mull over her fate. They navigated the underground tunnels, ran through the catacombs, then came out on the ground level. 

"Laresh told me that they'd been captured. The dungeons will be down here." Antony led her down into the deep recesses of the castle.

"Crap!" Sienna hissed, seeing Trere outside the cell, where she guessed her friends were imprisoned. Without another thought, Sienna pulled off her blue t-shirt, knotted a long piece of cotton fabric around her waist to hide her pants and guns, then turned to Antony.

"What are you doing?" he whispered in her ear. 

"Seduction." she winked at him and sauntered over to the young viscount. Trere looked over at her, dropping the keys to the cell. Sienna smiled and posed for him, being provocative as she could. His jaw dropped open when he saw her white bra, and even more so when she rolled her shoulders a little bit. 

"I have never seen someone...dressed like you before."

"Honey, you won't see another lady like me."

He went over to her. "Mind if I?"

"Go ahead," she took his hands, then used her good knee to knee him in the groin. "How about this?" she thumped down on the back of his head with the butt of one of her guns, knocking him out cold. Sienna ditched the cotton cloth, picked up the keys, then went to her friends, unlocking their cell door. 

The younger Doctor and Sarah looked up in surprise, the older Doctor was lying on his back, his breathing was raspy.

"What happened to you, Sienna?!" her Doctor cried. 

"Antony, bring Trere here and lock him up!" she barked, ushering her friends out of the cell. Antony and the younger Doctor supported the older Doctor as they went into a bedroom in the upper levels. 

"First things first, why is his heart rates so high?" Sienna brought her ear up from the older Doctor's chest. 

"He had to go into a self induced coma to recover from an allergic reaction to Praxis five gasses," Sarah informed her. "And your Doctor is immune to them now!"

"Doctor, would a shot from my epi pen restore him?"

"Uh, hard to say, but I think it'll at least shorten his coma time."

"Right!" Sienna banged a shot into him. He twitched a little bit, as the shot began to circulate through his body. 

Antony heard the guards coming up to where they were situated, then began to explain matters to them. Sarah and the Doctor told their story of what had happened to them, Sienna told them of their adventure in the Secret City. 

"Did you find it?"

"Antony's got it. He's going to lead this village into a new golden age!" she smiled at Antony who smiled at her. 

At the coronation ceremony, Trere got up and began to speak to the villagers. Antony motioned to the guards, who were his faithful guards now, and had Trere carried off to the cells to await his punishment. Antony narrated the tale, introducted the Doctors, Sienna and Sarah, then finished up by waving the found Seal Of the Royal and High Old Order of Gretious XGT. There were a few gasps around the tables, mostly from the senior citizens in the room. The tale was finished with Antony proclaiming he would succeed Ruler Jonas as the ruler.

Sarah and Sienna, decked out in medieval finery, exchanged looks with the younger and now healed older Doctor. The villagers applauded Antony, who began to take the coronation process. 

Afterwards, they were all at the TARDIS, including the newly minted Ruler Antony. He shook everyone's hands goodbye, reserving Sienna for last. When she stepped up to him, he pecked her on the cheek.

"What about the grand minister? Shouldn't he have been appointed to be the new Ruler?" she asked curiously.

"He died of pneumonia about a month back, Sienna. I'd been acting in his stead ever since. Tomorrow, I appoint a new grand minister and walk my successor around and get him used to his new job."he held her hand for a moment.

"Oh. Best of luck, Ruler Antony." she pecked him back. 

"And to you. My first daughter will be named after you, Sienna."

"Wow! I'm flattered."

"Sienna!" the Doctors barked in unison. She smiled sheepishly.

"Time to go. We'll come back someday."

"I hope so."she went into the TARDIS and it disappeared.

"Sienna,"her Doctor watched her walk beside his older looking self and poke at the console. "I'm sorry I told you to stay behind."

She waved it away with her hand. "Not necessary. I went into a great adventure."

"You came out again all bloody. You nearly stopped my hearts when I saw you with all that blood on your shoulders." he shuddered.

"Relax, Doctor, I'll be fine." Sienna went into her room and lay down, falling asleep.

An hour later, the older Doctor came into her room, looking for his sonic screwdriver. He found it in his pocket, then watched Sienna as she slept, going closer to her. He smiled, brushing back her side bangs, kissing her forehead, then pulling a blanket up over her, to her shoulders. Sienna stirred a little bit and settled back down in her sleep. The Doctor inspected the talon marks on her shoulders, which were healing themselves. 

"Good night, Sienna." he said softly, then left the room.  
END


	26. The Chosen One

4/10/Sienna/Sarah

Mainly 4/Sarah

Fluff piece

"Sienna!" her Doctor trumpeted, entering her room. "It's almost past noon and you're still not up! Recently you've been getting up at ten or ten thirty! Let's not stop now!" he put his hands on her shoulder and gently turned her so she was facing him. 

"What happened?!" her face was white and sweaty, her neck was swollen out a little bit. 

Sienna groaned, clearing her throat. "Doctor.." 

"What?" 

"I feel like shit..." he chuckled and brushed her sweat dampened hair back from her face. 

"Well, let me take a look at you. Think you can walk to the medbay?" 

Groaning, she closed her eyes and he giggled.

"Take that as a no," he went down to the medbay, bringing back a few solution bags, needleless IV line supplies, and more paraphenalia. "All right now, let's see what you've got!" 

A close examination with the sonic screwdriver, stethoscope, and the sphygmanomameter, he typed up all the symptoms into the master TARDIS diseases and conditions database, and pressed enter. He had compiled the data from every place he had visited, and when he'd stolen the TARDIS, she had already been preprogrammed with most of the information. The Doctor kept adding to it, being ever viligant on his journeys. 

The laptop grunted, thinking about it. Then, the screen opened up with information on Sienna's illness.

"My poor girl!" he clucked, reading the list of how to treat the disease.

"What, Doctor?" she turned her head to face where he was perched on the edge of her bed. "What is it?"

"You've got mono. The kissing disease, as they call it in your world!" he teased. 

"Don't joke, Doctor," Sienna burrowed into her bedclothes. "Ahll I wanna dooo is seeep." 

He yanked the cover off of her. "What?"

"All I want to do is sleep!" she snapped, taking back the covers. 

"I was prepared for that. I have to intubate you through your arm with constant antibiotics dripping into you, and rehydration. You've lost a lot of body fluids already, and you need those to help you fight it off." 

"I thought I had to wait until the disease ran it's course," she murmured. "It's supposed to take a long time for me to get well, like a couple of months." 

"Nonsense!" he put the needleless catheter into her skin, connected it to the tubes, to the bag, then taped it down so it didn't move. "You forget, you're with two Time Lords and a smart journalist now. These antibiotics are wonderful, straight from our old friend Dr. Fohem on Zognoss. Gave me a generous supply as well." 

"So they'll just...kill the disease and I'll be good in a few hours?" she sounded hopeful.

"Not exactly. We can at least shorten up the time you'll have this disease. These drugs will put you into a coma, which is the only way to really get this disease under control. While you're comatose, the drugs will begin a week long process of combing through your body and getting rid of the mono bug. After that, you'll be able to be conscious again, but you have to keep to your bed and keep taking the antibiotics for another week. Then, you can get up and do anything." 

"I'll be out of it for a week?" her eyes blinked blearily. "Anything's better than the way I feel right now." 

"I can imagine so," he connected the tubing to the small intravenous antibiotic bag. Picking up a syringe, he explained to her, "This is the first dosage, it'll knock you out in no time flat. The first one is very powerful, the ones in the bag over there are a little less so." 

"Do it to it, Doctor." 

The Doctor put the syringe against Sienna's skin and looked up at her. "I'll be with you every step of the way." 

"I know you would be," she offered a faint smile as he injected her. Her eyes closed like iron doors and she relaxed, limp as a rag doll. The Doctor put a sensor over her right and left sides of her chest, keeping tabs on her vitals.. A knock at the door, and the other Doctor and Sarah Jane entered the room.

"Doctor?" the young journalist asked him. "What's wrong?"

"Sienna's got mono," he clicked off the laptop and picked up a book, settling into the recliner. " I'm staying here to monitor her. She'll be out for a week so the antibiotics get to work." 

"I had mono once," Sarah stepped over to her friend. "Took me two months to recover from it." 

"This is a little different, Sarah. She's in a drug induced coma so the antibiotics can have the run of her system, isolating the disease everywhere and eliminating it. After that, another week on milder antibiotics, she'll be as good as new." 

"Brilliant," Sarah grinned. " She'll be all right." 

"I have no doubt that she will be," he turned a page. "I'll stay here, you two go out and have some fun." 

"Sure you'll be okay?"

"I'll be all right, Sarah. I don't want to leave her in the condition she's in. She might have a reaction to one of the drugs."

"All right then." 

The older Doctor had not said a word, putting his brown fedora on his head and looking at Sienna. He gave a slight nod, then went out of the TARDIS along with Sarah.

"It's a tropical paradise!" Sarah exclaimed. Wearing her jean shorts, sneakers, and a pale blue cami top that was exactly like Sienna's, she happily pranced along the worn path. The palm trees waved in the gentle green sunny sky, while the bright fuschia grass wavered gently. Multicolor flowers of all shapes and sizes bloomed, emitting their fresh flowery perfumes for all to smell.

"Maybe it's just as well Sienna's sick," the Doctor tossed his scarf over his shoulder. "Her hayfever would be triggered by these." he plucked out a flower and tucked it behind Sarah's right ear with a gentle smile of fondness. She giggled, then skipped ahead of him down the path.

"Careful, Sarah!" he called. 

"Oh, hello there," he heard her talking. Hastening to her side, he saw several women in brightly colored tube tops, long flowing skirts, and bare feet. They reminded the Doctor of Hawaiians on earth; they were talking to Sarah animatedly. Sarah was grinning and chatting a mile a minute with the native women, who seemed enthralled by her outgoing personality. 

The women had colored tattoos on their midriffs, he could make out multicolor waving lines centered around their navels. The Doctor studied them for a moment, they were like nothing he had ever seen-and he'd seen a lot. 

"Oh! This is my friend, the Doctor." Sarah introduced them.

The clique of ladies turned to face him, wearing identical smiles.

"Welcome to Vagreis!" 

****

The village consisted of small straw thatched huts, some were made out of logs, a few had been made out of stone. The Doctor, in a cynical corner of his mind, thought it was like the earth children's story the three little pigs. One made his house out of straw, sticks, and then brick. He wanted to ask Sarah if she thought there were any ravenous wolves around, but didn't. Little tepees dotted the landscape, they were few and far apart. 

"This is very interesting," Sarah had been shown to a little log cabin with a change of clothes. When she reentered, she looked like one of the native women. A lady nearby crowned her with a head wreath of a brilliant fiery red and purple flowers. "What do you think, Doctor?" 

He gulped. That was like a trick question in many ways. If he told her she was beautiful, she'd be modest and say she wasn't, if he said she looked okay, she'd be hurt, etc. He chose the path of least resistance. "You look like one of the natives now, Sarah." 

Her neon green tube top with splotches of pink and red fastened behind her back with strings, her midsection had been adorned with the same tattoos as the others, but a little bit different. Outside her navel, a bright orange circle had been put in, traced intricately. The skirt was the same color as the tube top, knotted at her left hip, dragging on the ground, barely showing her feet. 

"I feel a bit silly, letting my belly hang out like this." she flushed red for a moment.

"Nonsense!" one of the women chirped. " You look wonderful!" 

"Thank you, er," 

"Diyanes." 

"Diyanes, thank you." 

Diyanes, a flashy redhead, sized Sarah up and grinned. "Allow me to take you on a tour of our fair village." 

"I would be honored. Coming, Doctor?"

"Er, no, I would like to have a look around by myself?"

"Yes, of course." Diyanes beamed and led Sarah away, followed by the clique of women.

The Doctor, noticing the village was completely empty, wandered to the south, noticing the mouth of a cave or temple, not too far away. He checked for his sonic screwdriver, ate a few jelly babies, then played with his yo yo while walking over. It was indeed a temple, he recognized the structure immediately. Going inside, he pulled out a small flashlight from his seemingly bottomless pockets, and began to shine it over the walls. 

"Rather like the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs." he muttered, looking at the ornate carvings on the stone walls. Tracing one with his finger, he could not understand what any of them meant at all. On the back wall, a large circle took up half the wall, in the middle was drawn a woman. A large sphere was near her, colored dark with black scribbling. 

The other walls contained amazingly detailed etchings of the head of the village, Diyanes, and other women. The Doctor thought the other women were the Diyanes's predecessors to head of the village. Sort of like the mayor of a town, he thought.

His musings in the temple lasted the rest of the day as he tried to make out the ancient writing on the walls. All efforts exhausted and failed, he turned with a sigh, not realizing how hungry he was. The Doctor walked out of the temple, noticing the ladies were coming back from the tour. Idly, he wondered why Sarah had not been taken to the temple first, but perhaps they were saving that sight for later. After all, there was nothing but old writing and pictures on the walls. The temple was devoid of any furnishings or any sign of life. 

Rejoining the others, he was invited to sit with Diyanes as Sarah sat down across from them. They regaled him with tales of the tour, mostly sightings of the local wildlife and flowers blooming. Finding himself becoming bored, he took the dish they offered him and ate it without asking what it was. Sarah seemed to enjoy it, savoring every bit. When she was done, she handed back the dish and watched as Diyanes and her group began to sing ancient songs of their people. Everyone looked relaxed and content, so the Doctor ventured a question.

"Where are the men, if I may be so bold to ask?" 

Diyanes remained impassive. "They are out in hunting trips, Doctor." 

"For so long? Wouldn't they become tired and be back by now?" night had fallen, the flickering campfire was the only source of light. 

"You know men," she gave a titter. "Give them weapons and they'll never return." 

"Could be true," he had a suspicion he wasn't supposed to have gone to the temple, so he lied to cover his tracks. "What is that up there?" 

"That is our temple, Doctor. That is from the Old Era of Control and Monarchy." 

"Oh. And now?" 

"We are in the era of Complete Freedom." 

"You mean anarchy then," he pointed out. " I don't consider that a bad idea." 

"Thank you, Doctor." 

"Will you regale me with your tale of how you entered into this era?" he propped himself up with a lazy grin. 

"Certainly," Diyanes drew her feathered cloak around her with a small rustle. "We were once under control by an old monarch, who womanized and bullied us into submission for anything. This went on for a hundred years until we rallied ourselves into a fighting force to defeat them. The fighting lasted for another six years until we finally won. The monarch was sacrificed, men were banished from ever coming up here." 

"Where are the young children?" he plucked a grass blade and put it between his teeth. 

"We have no children." 

"Surely to survive you must have future generations, who can take care of you as you get old." 

"We have potions which can decrease our age. And now," she got up. "I am tired and we all must withdraw. I bid you all good night." 

"Night!" he waved cheerily. Sarah had already fallen asleep, so he brought her into the little hut they had been loaned, put her into a bed, then went into the other side of the partition. 

During the night, a small sphere of golden yellow light wafted in from the open window. It glowed brighter and drifted over to Sarah's prone form. She had kicked the covers off of her in her sleep, leaving her partially clad. The light went down very close, saw the markings on her belly, drifted down about three inches, and then seemed to sit on her. It was like that for a few moments, then disintegrated right through her skin and into her body. Sarah never noticed a thing, heavily asleep the whole time. 

The next day, Sarah felt a cool breeze wafting across her midsection. The women had provided her with a nightgown, which must have bunched up as she slept. Pulling it down, she still found it didn't cover her all the way. Sarah sat up, which she also struggled with, finding out she couldn't bend forward all the way either. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she wrestled herself up and yanked the nightshirt down. Not looking, she felt herself, checking her all over for anything that might be awry. Her hand slid down about four inches under her bustline, then she felt a small bump, like a soccer ball. Only it wasn't a soccer ball. Sarah could feel it, it was her own flesh all right. Her hand trailed downwards, checking out the rest of her. 

Daring to look down, she saw it was as she feared. A soccer ball sized bulge was in her midsection. Sarah pulled off the nightshirt, got into the clothes she wore yesterday, drawing the blanket over her belly. The Doctor was not up yet, but she heard Diyanes talking to her friends. 

Going outside, she sat down next to Diyanes, who gave her a friendly smile and a greeting.

"Um, Diyanes..." she revealed her bulge. The women gasped, Diyanes's eyes grew rounder. 

"You are.." 

"Pregnant, yes." 

"No, you are the chosen one!" 

****

Confused, Sarah could only ask, "What?" 

"In our past, it has been spoken of that a lady would descend from the stars and give birth to a new generation of our people!" 

"Um...oh?" the women crowded around Sarah, eyes reverent on her bulge. 

"The markings have worked!" 

"What, Diyanes?" 

"We the women have been hoping we would be the chosen one, so we adorned ourselves with the markings of fertility. Nothing has happened until you came here! You shall be treated like royalty here!" 

"How long before I..pop?" 

Diyanes looked confused, then laughed. "Two or three days, maybe a week at the most. Our gestation is relatively fast." 

"Yes. On my planet, it takes nine months." 

"Too long!" 

"I know." she thought of the Krillitanes and what they had put her and Sienna through.

The Doctor emerged, yawning and bleary eyed. He plunked his hat on his head and wandered over, the lazy grin on his face. Sarah held her breath as he saw her and Diyanes talked to him, repeating everything she had told Sarah. 

"Are you content to stay here until it is born, Sarah?" 

"Yes, Doctor," she watched as Diyanes began to touch her swollen belly. "Quite." 

The Doctor passed his time by going fishing the next two days. Sarah had gotten bigger, to full watermelon status now. She had Diyanes and her friends around her a lot; they were rubbing oils onto Sarah's belly lovingly, massaging it in and hoping that the infant inside would move around for them. Sarah had not felt anything moving yet, and she had told them so. Gobs of a violet colored substance were slopped onto Sarah's belly liberally, then rubbed in. Diyanes sat down by her, jabbering away. 

Sarah felt a fluttering, then looked down at her bulge in time to see the outline of an arm indented in her flesh. She put her hands on her belly, as if she was holding the child itself. 

"The baby just pushed me!" she exclaimed. 

"All the stimulation from the ceremonial anointing did it," Diyanes grinned. "We would like to perform the ceremonial prebirth ritual on you, if you are agreeable." 

"Um, all right.." 

"It will not take long. Come into this cabin." they put Sarah on a high table in the middle of the room, scattered flower petals all over the surface, then began to chant. Sarah felt a little weird, lying there with the baby practically crushing her, but she put her hands on the big bump. She could not see her feet, her big belly was like a centerpiece-it was a centerpiece, she reminded herself. They were performing a ritual to bless the unborn child with a long life. 

A few moments later, everyone could see the unborn child was stirring. Various places on Sarah's belly were kicked around, pushed, her skin showed the marks as the baby moved. The chanting reached a pitch, everyone put their hands on the belly, which jerked with the baby's movement, and stopped. 

"All will be well," Diyanes pronounced. "Come and we will make sure you are comfortable." 

"How long will it be before the birth?" she was eased upright. "I feel so big and clumsy." 

"Any day now, Sarah," Diyanes ushered her outside. "Any day." 

Any day meant three days later. Sarah was asleep in her bed when she had a dream that she was swimming, then she woke up and found out her bed was drenched in fluid. Standing up, she found out it was time to have the child. She wouldn't wake up the Doctor, he was exhausted from talking to the male villagers that were in exile by the females. Sarah went over to Diyanes's hut, and knocked upon the door. When it opened, Sarah was hit with a spasm of pain so intense, Diyanes had to step forward and support her. 

"It's time!" 

"Come in! Come in!" Sarah clutched at her belly, nearly falling where she stood. A few moments later, she was installed on the table where she had lain days earlier, Diyanes and her friends began a prayer for mother and child.

One of the women propped Sarah up as Diyanes coached Sarah the best she could. It seemed forever to Sarah, but finally, Diyanes cried out that the head was emerging. Biting back her cries of pain, Sarah gritted her teeth and concentrated hard on pushing the child out. 

"I'm glad Sienna and I had c sections on the twins!" she laughed to herself. "We were spared!" 

Diyanes didn't understand, but she coaxed Sarah all the way, every step of the process. Sarah gave the final push, and the infant slid out of her and landed in Diyanes's arms. The leader reverently cleaned up the child and cradled it to her, looking up at Sarah. With the afterbirth expelled, Sarah's bump deflated down to nonexistent in no time at all. She sat up, amazed. 

"Wow, I go back to normal just like that?" 

"Virtue of this planet," Diyanes giggled. "Others do not have it so easily." 

"What will become of this child?" 

"She will be raised, and one day, another female offworlder will give birth to a boy. The pair will be expected to grow up together, marry, and have more children. Our ancient texts foretell of this, and when it happens, the children here will have a new generation of our people, who forget past animosities. We will become a more integrated society once more." 

"Why don't you make amends now?" Sarah suggested. "No time like the present." 

Diyanes gave her a look. "Because we have a child to raise." she said as if it was obvious. 

"She's right, Sarah," the Doctor stood in the doorway, hands in pockets. Sarah was covered up with a blanket one of the women had given to her. "These women are very set in their ways and they will follow accordingly. Now, come on. We've had enough lounging around for a few days." 

"All right, Doctor," she hopped off the table and joined him, her clothes in her hand. "I hope Sienna will be waking up and feeling better soon." 

"I hope so too." 

In the TARDIS, they saw Sienna, looking the same as she had when they left, and her Doctor, conked out in the recliner. Removing the tired Time Lord, the Doctor installed himself in the recliner. Sarah chose the small slingback chair, and both engrossed themselves in ghost story books that Sienna adored.   
END


	27. Pet Sitting

Pet Sitting

4/10/Sarah/Sienna/Benton/Brigadier/Harry Sullivan

Humor

A/N: This was inspired by an old game by PF Magic called Oddballz

"Doctor!" the White Guardian lit up the internal TV monitor, startling Sarah and her Doctor. Steadying herself on the console, Sarah froze to where she was, unsure if this was a good or a bad guy. The Doctor straightened up, casting aside his signature multicolor scarf. 

"Yes?" he ventured amid the TARDIS's in flight noise.

"I have a task to set you to." 

"What might that be?" 

"I am leaving for about three days, and I wish you to look after my three pets." 

"Why me?" he wasn't very fond of anything other than biped mammals walking around in the TARDIS, never mind some quadriped that might be running amok and shedding fur or scales everythere.

"You are the only Time Lord traveling in my vicinity at the moment." 

"Let's do it, Doctor!" Sarah exclaimed. "A nice dog or cat would fit in fine on board!" 

"Very well," he grumbled. "Nothing like having to pick up after some animal who'd come aboard, wrecking all my things and everyone else's." 

The White Guardian beamed happily, and in a white flash of light, three animals appeared in the console room.

A cross between a cat and cow appeared first. It had the shape of a cow, black except for it's face and front legs, which were white. It wore a pink collar, had the tail of a cat, horn stubs like a cow, and the unmistakable cat eyes. 

"I've never seen anything like it," the Doctor remarked, walking over to it. "What breed is this?"

"It is a Cowat," the White Guardian said proudly. "It's-or her-name is Moomew." 

Moomew sniffed at the Doctor's pants pocket, then trotted a few feet off, standing there, swishing it's cat like tail. 

"Moomew, or the Moo as I call her, is very docile and quite even tempered." 

"What on earth do we feed her? Tuna mixed with hay?!" 

"Just feed her cat chow and in between times, let her have access to hay. This one," a small animal that looked like a guinea pig, but had dog ears and a doglike tail, looked up, letting out a wheek that ended with a small growl. "Is a Cavynine. His name is Wheewoof." 

"He's so cute!" Sarah bent down to stroke Wheewoof's ears, but he scuttled away from her, hiding under Moomew. 

"He's a little shy, he'll warm up to you. This last one is the misfit of the bunch," a midsize dragon, colored in brilliant green, red, and blue, looked at them with mild interest. "This is Ember." 

"Is it crossed with another animal, or is it a purebred dragon?" the Doctor measured up the animal, who flexed it's wings, then folded them back. 

"That is a pure dragon, all right. She's very laid back, often just likes to lay down and lounge the whole day. She can eat people food and it won't upset her. She keeps strange hours though, might wake you up in the middle of the TARDIS night." 

"Incredible! A real, live, dragon!" Sarah gazed with rapture upon the beast. 

"Your companion is pleased. Now, Wheewoof will need a litter box where he'll do his business. Put out vegetarian fare and a water bowl right next to it, show it to him, then he'll come back automatically. Watch where you step, he is high strung and likes to wander everywhere." 

"All right," the Doctor nearly tripped over Ember's long tail. "Let's get this set up, Sarah. You're the primary caregiver, since you got us into this." 

A few minutes later, Wheewoof's little corner had been set up, the Cavynine had been introduced to it, settling in happily. Moomew had discovered the library, and was now rubbing her butt contentedly on the edge of the sofa, relieving an itch. The Doctor saw it, his face went red, and he exploded at the hybrid animal.

"Get out of here, you bloody THING!" the animal hightailed it out, uttering a protesting moo which followed up with an angry cat squeal. Sarah took Moomew into the meadows of the TARDIS, then found a little barn. She fastened a long rope to the collar, fastened the other end into a small circle, then led the animal out into the small hayfield. The TARDIS had just materialized these things for the animal, she'd guessed. Taking the circle end of the rope, she drove down an iron stake into the ground, and looped the rope around it. She tightened up the loop so it wouldn't become ripped free, then sat down and watched Moomew graze.

"Pretty animal though, aren't you?" she slapped the hybrid on the rump, which she responded by trying to kick Sarah. Sarah ducked out of the way just in time. She huffed, making sure a watering trough nearby was filled and within reach, then left. 

On the Doctor's way back to the console room, Wheewoof began to trail him around, the little guinea pig claws clicking loudly on the corridor tiled floor. 

"Now, where's the dragon?" taking no notice of the Cavynine underfoot, he turned into the living room, where he saw Ember lying on the floor in front of the fireplace. Watching, he saw a spark of fire emanate from her nose, she blew it into the fireplace, and a blaze ignited. Raising his eyebrows, he saw the dragon turn bellyup and begin basking in the warmth. 

"Least that one's easily entertained," an indignant squawking sounded beneath him and he jumped back. "You bugger! Get lost and don't follow me!" 

Wheewoof barked and looked very put out. When the Doctor turned and left, he happily followed him, already determined to follow his favorite person. 

Sienna and her Doctor were in her room during all that transpired. She was still sick and he was determined to get her well. The sedation had worked to some extent, but the antibiotics had failed to eradicate all of the disease. Sienna was left in bed, still flushed and feverish like before. What had been eradicated by the antibiotics had quickly grown back, leaving her Doctor frustrated and racking his brain in order to try to help her. 

The older Doctor swept into the room, prompted by Sarah’s question if there was anything that they could to to help Sienna recover. 

"There isn't much to say," his future self said bitterly. "There isn't any cure I could pull out of my ass and make her better." 

"That an earth term?"

"One of hers, yes." 

"Do you think Harry should have a look at her?" 

"Harry's a surgeon. I doubt there's anything that he could do to help her." 

"Well, he's a qualified doctor and I don't think it would hurt. Look how bad she is." 

He studied his companion for a long moment. She was flushed and sweaty, lying in a feverish sleep. Sienna looked pretty bad, and he'd seen her in many bad situations. It wasn't as bad as some situations in the past, but he still did not like to see anybody he cared about looking so sick. 

"You're right. Set the coordinates." he decided. 

"Right on. I'll make it, oh, about two months since our last adventure with Harry and the 'ol Brigadier." he dashed out.

****

"Doggone it!" raking a hand through his curly hair, he swore in Gallifreyan as Wheewoof trotted past him, sonic screwdriver in his mouth. Getting down on his hands and knees, he crawled after the animal with many a muted swear as the Cavynine put it down and began to inspect the console. Snatching up his most prized possession, he set the coordinates. 

Ember came into the console room then, looking about with a lazy eye. She was apparently in an affectionate mood, she crossed over to the Doctor and began to nuzzle his shoulder, looking for a head rub. He absentmindedly stroked her head, thinking that she was not a nuisance like Wheewoof. Sarah was on Moomew duty for a bit, she'd told him that the animal had been picketed out to grass and hay. 

"Ah, how's it coming on in here-oh!" his future self jumped back at the sight of a medium height dragon and a Cavynine in the console room. "Uh, do I want to know?" 

"The White Guardian foisted these animals off on us while he goes away for about three days," his older self said flatly, still stroking Ember's head. She closed her eyes and chittered to herself as he rubbed just above the little slits that were her nostrils. "Sarah is the primary caregiver, I designated her into it. Well, she got us all into it." 

"She talked you into it, eh?" he picked up Wheewoof, who stared at him silently. 

"Essentially. There's another one, a cow cross with a cat, Moomew, which she is looking after. That one there won't stop following me around! This dragon here I can tolerate, she's lazy and good natured." Ember closed her eyes with a small grunt. 

"How long until we get there?" 

"Two minutes until Sienna and I disembark." 

"Just you and her?"

"Yes," he gave his future self a sharp look. "You've been at her side for almost a full week now! You need a break, so you are going to help Sarah take care of these animals. I need a break from that Cavynine there!" 

"Uh, OK then, let me get Sienna up to see if she can make it under her own power. I'll leave the catheter in." he hustled off, taking Wheewoof with him.

By the time the TARDIS set down, Sienna was leaning against the doors, looking white under her flushed cheeks. It had taken all her energy to get into the simplest piece of clothing she could find, her pastel purple long sundress and flats. 

"Ready, Sienna?" he looped his scarf around his neck and draped a small woolen blanket onto her shoulders. Sienna could only nod her answer, she didn't have strength enough to form words. The TARDIS doors opened, he made sure Wheewoof did not escape, then assisted Sienna outside. 

"Good luck!" Sarah and the younger Doctor called. The animals responded as well, a moo-meow, a wheek-bark, and a snorting grunt followed them. 

Despite the fact the TARDIS had touched down directly beside the UNIT headquarters, Sienna was unable to walk into the front entrance, so the Doctor picked her up. Covering her with the small blanket, he went inside to the reception area, where he saw Benton was on duty. 

"Doctor!" he walked up. "Something wrong? Where's your entourage?" 

The Doctor managed to grin. "They're in the TARDIS, pet sitting. It's Sienna here, she's got some sort of infection that we haven't been able to rid her from." 

"I'll page Dr. Sullivan," he picked up a phone, dialed an extension. "Lieutenant Sullivan, we have a case for you to see, soon as you can, come to the front desk." he hung up. 

"Ms. Blackman!" Benton saw her face. "What have you gotten her into this time?"

"Who, me?" he grinned. "Mr. Benton, perhaps it would be more apt to say, 'what don't we get into?' trouble, if we don't get into it, seems to find us everywhere." 

"That I can certainly agree with," Benton chuckled as the Brigadier walked in. "Sir." 

"At ease, Mr. Benton," he returned the salute. "Doctor! How nice to see you again." 

"Likewise, Brigadier," he flashed his famous grin. "Once Harry gets here, I shall be even more happy to see him." 

"Oh, something happen?" 

"It's Ms. Blackman, sir," Benton spoke up. "She has some illness which the Doctors have had no success treating." 

"And you brought her here? Not some space hospital in the future, light years away?" 

"Why, Brigadier," the Doctor giggled. "And pass up this chance to renew my friendship with all of you? Really, now!" 

The Brigadier flushed red for a moment, realizing the Doctor had actually complimented them. "Well, what is keeping Lieutenant Sullivan? Come on now, down to the sick bay/infirmary!" 

"Besides," the Doctor started up again. "I think our alien doctor on Zognoss would frown upon seeing us again so soon! It's only been about two or three months since we saw her last!" 

In the sick bay, the beds were vacant. "We're enjoying a rare blush of health from all our recruits at the moment," the Brigadier explained. "Most of them are on leave anyway." 

"Beware the full moon, Brigadier." 

"Ah, here's the exam room," he ignored the Doctor, opening up the door. "You can put Miss Blackman on the exam table and we will go and find Lieutenant Sullivan." 

"Thank you, Brigadier." he gently put Sienna on the table. The Brigadier and Benton left to search for Harry. 

Just when the Doctor was about to go looking himself, he heard the door open and Harry stepped in, adjusting his white coat. 

"Hello, Harry." 

"Doctor! I say, what have you all gotten into this time?" he moved towards Sienna, slapping on gloves and beginning an examination. "Well, I'll be." 

"What is it, Harry?" 

"She has a fever of 103 degrees, she's sweating like a pig, and her body fluids are rapidly being depleted. How long has she been like this?" 

"Almost a full week." 

"Doctor!" 

"Harry, we diagnosed her as having mono." 

"Well, I can see that," Harry checked Sienna's throat. "Her lymph nodes are swollen, but not as much as mono would do to her." 

"What else can it be? We input her symptoms into the TARDIS database and it came back mono." 

"That's the problem with the TARDIS," Harry looked up. "It doesn't have a medical degree and more so to my point, symptoms often mirror another illness. Open your mouth, Sienna." he shined a light into the back, peering intently. 

"Are you saying the TARDIS was wrong?"

"Well, obviously! You tried treating her when it said she had mono, she doesn't, and you came to me!" 

The Doctor sighed. "Can you tell me what is really wrong with her?" 

"She has a bad case of tonsillitis, Doctor. I think she would benefit from a tonsillectomy." 

"When?" 

"Right away. It's not as severe as it could be, but I need to get those things out of her." 

****

"That soon, eh?" 

"If you don't mind, Doctor, this is my area," Harry picked up Sienna and began to try to wake her up. "Sienna? It's Harry." 

One brown eye opened up, followed by the other. 

"That's good," he said gently. "Don't talk, I know your throat is sore. I want you to understand that you've got a particularly acute case of tonsillitis and I need to operate on you, to remove them." he slipped one of his hands, now glove free, into hers. "There. Just squeeze my hand if you understand me, OK?"

"Hi, Sienna." the Doctor looked a little sheepish. Later on, he made a mental note to tell Harry that he really did have an excellent bedside manner. 

"That's good," her hand squeezed his. "I'll be putting you under a general anesthetic and removing those irritants from you. Afterwards, you'll have a sore throat still, but your fever will be going away. Do you want to have one of our female recruits change you into a gown?" 

Sienna moved her hand towards Harry, signifying she wanted him to do everything, also pointing out the catheter that her Doctor had left in. 

"I say, Doctor," Harry turned to him after digging out a gown from the drawer. "I'm rather short staffed. I don't know if the Brigadier told you that most of the recruits are on leave?" 

"You want me to assist you?" 

"Right to the point as always. You don't become sick at the sight of blood?"

"Harry, it's a tonsillectomy." 

Harry shrugged, taking Sienna's dress and flats off, putting them into a bag. "Just checking. Some premeds have said they don't and then they do." 

"I've seen more than my fair share of injuries, Harry," he reminded the surgeon. "Nevertheless, I will assist you if you need it." 

"Thank you. First thing is to find a gurney so we can move her. There should be a few in the little cubbyhole next door." the Doctor left and brought one in, the small room was barely big enough to accomodate it. Together, they put Sienna onto it, then Harry steered down the hall into an OR. Donning sterile gear, they began to assemble all the instruments and supplies needed. Harry fitted a nasal cannula over Sienna's ears and hooked it underneath her nose. The Doctor put a thin blanket over Sienna's torso, taking care to make sure her feet were covered up and warm. 

"Sienna, I need you to keep your eyes open until the sedative takes effect, all right?" Harry asked her in the same gentle and comforting manner. 

Harry saw she understood, then reached behind him and drew out a measure of sedative. He carefully picked out her catheter, and examining it, fitted the needle into it, and injected the contents into his patient. Sienna's vision wavered, then she closed her eyes with a small sigh. Harry grinned behind his mask, fitted her with vital sign monitors, then took up his tools. 

The Doctor stood on the opposite side, ready to help out. 

On the TARDIS, Sarah finished wrestling a pillow sham from Moomew, who cat squealed at her, then ran away, hooves clattering down along the passage. She sank down onto the couch in the library, draping a hand over her face in a dramatic fashion.

"Oh, Sarah!" the Doctor took a running jump and catapulted onto the couch next to her. “Why the long face?"

"I'm so tired!" she groaned. "It's just past lunchtime and I can't eat! Not after seeing Moo over there chewing her cud!" 

"Don't worry about that! I'll take over Moo and you can lounge with Ember." 

"Oh, would you, Doctor?" 

"You bet!" he ran a hand through his brown hair, making it stand up a little. "I haven't felt this charged since I saw the coronation of the Queen!" 

"You saw that?" 

"I sure did, Sarah. Now, let's go find Ember and see what she's up to." 

"OK." 

Wheewoof prodded alongside them, picking up the Doctor's sonic screwdriver, which he had dropped. After seeing Ember lounging by the fireplace again, Sarah looked at the Cavynine.

"Doctor, he's got your sonic screwdriver!" 

"You little...quadriped rodent!" he made a grab, but Wheewoof dropped the tool, then scuttled in front of it as the Doctor pressed the button. The blue light lit up and a buzzing sound was heard. Wheewoof squealed, then grew up a few inches. 

"Wow!" he exclaimed. "Sarah, did you see that?" 

"The sonic screwdriver does that?!" 

"Apparently so. Maybe the soundwaves the sonic screwdriver emits interferes with it's own personal aura or gravity or something. Maybe it shorts out a circuit in their brains concerning growth and they get bigger!" he twirled his favorite tool around, putting it down in his pocket again. 

"Very interesting, Doctor. Maybe we can shrink down Moomew so she can be less of a nuisance?" 

"I don't see why not. I'm sure I can reverse it later on when the White Guardian comes to pick them up." he aimed and shrank Moomew down to cat size instead of cow. The moos were high pitched squeals now, she ran over to the curtains in the library and tried to climb them. Forgetting she had no claws, she fell down, but kept trying. After a moment, she became interested in her tail, chasing it until she fell down again. Then, she began to chew her cud, sitting down quietly, and lowing one long note. 

"It's like a hyperactive child," Sarah giggled helplessly. "I'm going to go and cuddle with Ember if she'll let me." 

"I think she will. She's a nice dragon." 

The two sat down on the couch, followed by Wheewoof. He propelled himself upward, but landed on his back. Sarah picked up the now slightly bigger animal, which cozied up next to her. Stretching out with the Doctor, she settled down with her left ear on his chest, hearing his hearts. He smiled at her, ruffling her hair affectionately. Wheewoof nuzzled up to Sarah, nudging his little face against her cheek. 

"Ah, Sarah," he muttered, already falling asleep. "You and Sienna both have an...animal magnetism to you. Animals know instinctively that they can trust you." 

"I wonder how the creatures know about it. Ember isn't even moving at all. And why does this one follow my Doctor around so much?"

"Because he likes him. Either that, or I sense that Wheewoof here has a sporting streak in him and likes to...cheese your Doctor off." 

"It certainly looked that way." 

"I haven't always cared for animals, Sarah. Some of them I find quite repulsive, especially the ones which try to kill us. I've had a slight fear of spiders ever since that giant one on Shada." 

"Me too. Gives me the willies in the most." she shuddered to remember it. 

"Sienna's got the biggest fear of arachnids, though she doesn't like to admit it. She won't go near one, no matter what." 

****

An hour later, Sienna was installed in the sick bay, her breathing was heavy with the sedative drugs. Harry and the Doctor were at the desk Harry kept, discussing her operation. 

"Very efficient, Harry, very much so." 

"Thank you, Doctor," despite Harry performing numerous operations on various people, he'd been a bit grossed out by the sheer size and color of Sienna's inflamed tonsils. He'd made sure the Doctor threw them in the incinerator, along with religiously sterilizing the stainless steel bowl they'd been in. " I'm pleased, for the most part. I mean, that was a pretty bad case. Sometimes the tonsils grow back, but I don't think that would be a problem with her. They rarely pose the same problem twice. She's had no history of recurrence of this, right?"

"Yes," the Doctor picked up his tea mug. "How long will it be before she comes round?" 

Harry leaned back, scrutinizing the form on the bed. "Another hour or two. Since she's from a different time, how would she be able to explain the operation to her own doctor?" 

The Doctor grinned. "No need to. She can say she had them removed in the past." 

"How long has she been time traveling, anyway?" Harry inquired.

"Coming up this March, one full year. We have Valentine's Day to plan for her and Sarah." he remembered.

"I guess you do," Harry replaced his mug. "Some intergalactic ball? A dance party in her time?" 

"I haven't given it much thought," he admitted. "No, I think we'd rather find a dance party at night, and just spend the day together. Nothing too fancy or formal." 

"More the traditional type, eh?" Harry teased him. "Have them waking up to a rose by their sides, make them breakfast and lunch, and just letting them know how much they mean to you as companions? And after that, a party on some planet where they can look their very best and make sure that they fall in love with you?" 

"Harry Sullivan!" he exclaimed. "You just gave me an idea!" 

"Eh, what?"

"Valentine! The planet Valentine!" his blue eyes lit up. "It's the perfect place to take them! The people there will help us make it the best Valentine's Day that they've ever had!" 

"What, there's a planet Valentine where men are romantic towards women all the time?"

"Every single day, Harry. But February 14th is the biggest day of the year for them, so they really as Sienna would say, 'pull out all the stops'." 

"Eh?"

"Erm, make the day stand out from all the others, like spare no expense." 

"Oh, I get it," Harry moved over and began to listen to Sienna's heart. "Nice and steady, no indication of any postoperative trauma." he picked up her hand and measured her pulse. 

"She'll be coming around very soon, I think, Doctor. She came through it very well. Perhaps you'd like to send word to your other friends?"

"I will later on," he answered. " I just want to see her somewhat awake first, it reassures me." 

"Doctor, are you getting sweet on her?"

"No, Harry. Traveling with females, you learn some things." he shot Harry a look.

"That you do," the surgeon put away his instruments. "I've recieved plenty of glares from calling women 'old girls' since I got back. I learned quite quickly how to stop that! And I don't put my head into it so fast, like with the Zygons." 

"Good, Harry," the Doctor was obviously pleased. "You've learned some humility." 

"I guess you could say that." 

"I just did," Harry looked flustered, but he composed himself. "Anyway Doctor, it's nearly past suppertime. Will you come with me to the mess hall?"

"I should be here with her." he said uncertainly.

"Oh, balderdash! If you're that worried, we can bring our trays in here. It's quite likely she won't be coherent until tomorrow." 

"Right." he got up and joined Harry in the mess hall. Benton and the Brigadier were there, so the Doctor filled them in on what had happened since they had seen each other last. 

"And more recently, the girls had been framed for apparent murder on Gretious XGT." 

"Murder?!" Harry nearly choked on his drink.

"Yes. The Ruler Jonas there was a sexual predator, like his son, Trere. Apparently, the Ruler Jonas had fallen off his favorite horse and suffered a brain injury. The local apothecary treated him with an opiate called laudanum. The apothecary got him addicted to it and he was soon paying...a hefty sum for it. The opiate made him quite paranoid, the peasants suffered dreadfully. We came to meet my friend Antony, who was gathering up a group of rebels they called the elite. We banded together with them and helped to instill a new Ruler." 

"How was all this accomplished, Doctor?" the Brigadier questioned him.

"That is an interesting substory," the Doctor took a drink. "Sienna and Sarah had been accused of murder, so we had to hide them at the elite base underground. They had just been attacked by an assassin, so Sienna had to sit out for a little bit. Knife got her on the forearm. Sarah gave some blood to her. Anyway, since neither could remember what had gone on, we took Sarah back to the scene of the crime and asked her if she remembered anything. While that was going on, Antony and Sienna, who had recovered, had gotten pally. He told her of a lost city, mentioned that nobody could get to it because of lake monsters, and Sienna was intrigued. In the lost city was a lost artifact that if Antony had it, he could easily become the new ruler. Sienna and Antony went into the lost city, found the artifact, came out, then rescued us. We had gotten kidnapped by that accursed apothecary. He'd been harboring Ruler Jonas's guards for another fee. And so Antony became the new ruler, story ended." 

"Are you sure?" Harry teased. "Doctor, there's a faint flush on your face. Did Antony become sweet on either of the girls?"

"I don't know and it's not my job to pry, Harry," he snapped. "Let's go and check on her." 

"Did the operation go well, Lieutenant Sullivan?"

"Textbook, Brigadier, very textbook." 

"Very good. Perhaps I shall call and see her later." 

"As you wish, sir." Harry gave him a respectful salute and they left the hall.

When they entered the sick bay, the Doctor began to preempt the cot beside Sienna, sitting down and looking at her. Harry began an exam at once, proclaiming her body was recovering nicely. Within a minute of that, her eyes opened up and she smiled lazily. 

"Ah! Hello, Sienna," Harry trumpeted. "We've got you on a bit of morphine for the pain you might have, and antibiotics whacked that fever right out of you!" 

"Can you talk?"

"I can, Doctor," her voice was raspy. "I don't sound so well, but in a few days, that'll be gone." 

Harry sat on the edge of her bed. "How are you feeling?" 

Sienna turned her head towards him. "I'll tell ya, these drugs are makin' me feel damn good," she giggled. "Anyone ever tell you that you are quite the attractive and handsome doctor?" 

"Oh, Sienna!" the Doctor clucked. "You're whacked out of your head with medicine and you don't know what you're saying!" 

She looked over at him. "They say anesthetics wearing off is like a truth serum or something..." her doped up smile made the Doctor grin for a moment as Harry choked a laugh behind his hand. 

"You can start drinking water anytime," he filled a pitcher and glass on the stand beside her. "Tomorrow, I'll start giving you little things to help heal your sore throat. You'll be here at least tonight and tomorrow night. Go back to sleep. The Doctor and I will be with you if you need anything." 

"OK." giddiness gone, Sienna fell into a relaxed sleep as the Brigadier walked in. The Doctor stretched out on the cot beside her, putting his hat over his face.

"You just missed her, Brigadier," he said, voice slightly muffled. "She was just awake." 

"This true, Lieutenant Sullivan?"

Before Harry could speak, the Doctor pulled his hat off his face. "Why, Brigadier! You've never needed to confirm what I've said before." 

"In which life?" the Brigadier retorted. 

"Touche, Brigadier. 'Night." he turned on his side and closed his eyes.

****

"Yes, she was just awake, sir," Harry stood up. "She's feeling better already." 

"I can see the feverish flushed look is gone from her face. I trust she'll be awake tomorrow?"

"Yes sir, though she will have a sore throat and will be able to talk, she may sound a bit funny." 

"I'm sure. I had my tonsils out when I was a bit younger than her and I remember...most of it." the Brigadier almost smiled.

"The Doctor and I will be near her, should she need us during the night. She will be fine." 

"I have never doubted your skills, Lieutenant Sullivan. I just wanted to stop by before I head off to bed. Good night." they exchanged salutes.

"Good night, sir." Harry took the cot that was across the way from Sienna, swung it so he was able to lie on his side and look at her without moving, then settled in. The Doctor had already begun to snore lightly, prompting Harry to wonder if the cantankerous Time Lord had a deviated septum. 

"Sarah!" the Doctor called, nearly tripping over Moomew and Wheewoof. The two animals were already at it again. After they'd all woken up from their midday naps, Moomew and Wheewoof were fighting in the hallway. 

"In here, Doctor!" Sarah, wrapped up in a big towel, was standing with Ember in the bathroom. Ember was gently breathing on Sarah's wet hair, huffing her breath all over it. 

"What are you doing, Sarah?"

"Ember is drying my hair for me!" they watched the dragon breathe on it. Sarah's hair turned from wet dark to a light and fluffy. "Isn't this dragon great?! She's so laid back and minds absolutely!" Ember put her head up and snorted, a tiny stream of fire emitted from her nose. She then stretched her wings and flew over to Sarah's bed. She cuddled up on one side, her tail hanging over the edge, already asleep.

"She is a remarkable animal, Sarah. I wonder where the White Guardian got her from." 

They paused in their musings, hearing another squealing and barking fight. The Doctor went and aimed the sonic screwdriver at Wheewoof, making him bigger than Moomew. Wheewoof, realizing he had the advantage, went over to Moomew with a barking squeal and jumped onto her back. With a deafening squeal followed by a hissing cat sound, Moomew took off, bucking like a bronco with Wheewoof riding, biting on her ear to keep himself steady. 

"That'll learn ya!" the Doctor laughed as the two creatures careened down the hall, smacked into a sharp bend, righted themselves, and went onwards. 

"Doctor," Sarah was sitting on the bed, clothed in a dark purple nightgown. "Will you tell me a story or two of your past adventures?"

"Regressing, Sarah?" he teased. 

"No, just curious. What's gone on since you regenerated into this body?" he sat down beside her.

"Welllllll," he drawled out, thinking. "A couple months after, I ran into you." 

"Me? Well, that's nice," she knew better than to pry into her own future. "What else?" 

"Just as I was regenerating, I was laid up in bed. You remember I did that before, I was comatose that night?"

Sarah nodded. "Go on." 

"Because I'm older now, it took me a bit longer to get over the effects. It was my most traumatic regeneration to date and I spent a long time in a self induced coma. Of course, some aliens can smell out my regenerative energy and track me down, which happened. I fended them off, but I knew a big alien attack was coming. At that time, I was friends with the prime minister and as the attack commenced, she was calling out for me." 

"Why didn't you go to her?"

He put an arm around her shoulders. "I couldn't get there as fast, Sarah. My regeneration was so bad, one of my hearts stopped." 

"Oh, my," she looked at him. "Isn't it painful?"

"I never noticed. It's like a numbing sensation actually. Mine hasn't stopped since, but I'd usually need a good pounding to get it back up again. One of my past companions could stop her hearts on demand." 

"Who?"

"Her name is Romana. That's an even longer story, Sarah." 

"I'm not sleepy yet." 

"You won't be disturbed, hearing about my other companions?"

"Oh, Doctor. I'm glad you've taken other people out and showed them around the universe." 

"I've done that to many, Sarah, but you've always been the one I've thought about and wondered what you were up to. You are my best friend, no matter what." 

"Thank you, Doctor." 

Sarah lay down on the bed, he pulled the covers up to her shoulders. Ember snuggled up to Sarah, putting her scaly head next to hers. The Doctor laughed, scratching her above her nose and eyes, like the other Doctor had done. Ember snorted, a dragon laugh, and actually smiled. Her glistening scales shone in the low light like precious stones glittering in a mine. The Doctor reached out and stroked her belly, which Ember loved. She turned onto her back and lay, looking at the Doctor. 

"You're the picture of the perfect pet, Ember," he told her, scratching her belly. "Gonna fall asleep soon, I bet." 

The next day, Sienna, despite her throat bothering her, insisted upon going home to the TARDIS. Harry reluctantly released her, warning the Doctor that if they came back sick or wounded again, he would read them the riot act. 

"Glad to see you back up again, Ms. Blackman," the Brigadier told her. "And glad you're feeling better." 

"Thank you, Brigadier," she smiled at him. "I have several throat remedies that work, so I can take it from here." 

"Very well, Sienna," Harry inspected her critically. "They do this in your time, release the patient after only about 8 hours?" 

"Yes. I was released from a gallbladder surgery only after about four hours." she leaned on the Doctor a little bit and together, went into the TARDIS. The hybrid pets greeted them with an enthusiastic greeting. 

" Look at you!" Sienna picked up Wheewoof while Sarah and the younger Doctor explained how they had managed to increase it's size. 

"Wow!" the Doctor took the console and dematerialized the TARDIS. Sienna was badgered by her Doctor to spend the rest of the day in bed, objected good naturedly. 

"Come on, Doctor, I'm fine." she protested. His brown eyes looked down into hers as he put his hands in his pockets of the green suit he'd recently found.

"You had an operation yesterday!" he began, but she cut him off.

"Look, why don't we compromise, all right?"

"What have you got on the table in terms of compromising?" he folded his arms and eyed her warily.

"Why don't I spend a few hours doing what I want to, like taking a bath, all that stuff, and then I'll spend the rest of the day on bed." 

"On bed? Like reading and such while staying on the bed, not in it?"

"Yes." 

"OK, that sounds reasonable. Tomorrow you can do whatever you want, I just want you to take it easy and not overdo it." 

"Understandable." 

For the next two days, Sienna wound up in semi-forced bed arrest. Her Doctor forbade her from doing nearly anything, but her time was filled with reading, socializing with Sarah, and she had the entertainment of the three creatures. Many times she would wake up from a nap to hear the older Doctor barking at Wheewoof, who kept following him around everywhere. Sarah would come and talk to Sienna with Ember perched on her shoulder. The girls' long conversations stretched right through the afternoons, entertaining Sienna tremendously. 

"What is it with Wheewoof and your Doctor?" 

"I don't know. Perhaps he likes the scarf?" they giggled together as another outburst of creature fighting arose in the hallway. Sarah's Doctor sighed in exasperation, walking down the hall to break it up again. 

"All right you two-hey!" 

"Everything all right, Doctor?" Sarah asked. 

"Not really! The little devil just tried to eat my sonic screwdriver again!" 

"He won't eat it, Doctor, he wants to carry it around for you." Sienna called. He poked his curly head into her doorway, looking flustered and annoyed.

"Why would you say that?"

"It is part dog, isn't it?" she giggled. "Dogs of the bigger breeds were bred for retrieving objects." 

"Imagine a guinea pig sized animal carrying around something a little bigger than it," he successfully retrieved his treasured possession, then came in to sit with the girls. "Feel better, Sienna?" he eyeballed her.

"How many times do you have to ask that!" he sat down next to Sarah on Sienna's bed.

"Frustrated, I take it," he stated casually. "It's just a precaution, you being here like this." 

"Yeah, whatever," a light gleamed in her mirthful brown eyes. "I'll tell you two a secret." 

"What?" Sarah leaned forward.

"I kissed Harry." 

"Did you?"

"Yeah. When we were here before, I kissed him at the masquerade, and I did it again before we left. He's good." 

"Sienna!" the Doctor eyed her disapprovingly. "Harry is a wonderful man, but are you sure you'd want to get involved with him like that?" 

"It was nothing, Doctor," she leaned against the cushions. "Just a casual little smoochie." 

"Does he feel that way too?" 

"I'm sure he does." 

"Eh," he didn't try to argue with her. "Anyway, you can get up now. I essentially forced your Doctor into submission, so you're liberated from bed arrest." 

"Yay!" Sienna leaped up, already dressed in shorts and a t-shirt.

****

"Don't go overboard," the Doctor cautioned. "But I'm sure you won't, yes?"

"Yes!" she went with them into the console room, where the TV monitor was alight, portraying the White Guardian.

"Ah, there you are, Doctor," the kindly guardian smiled at them benevolently. "I have come for my pets." 

"Of course," Moomew and Wheewoof came into the room then, and were instantly zapped away. "Ember, I must say, we will be sad to see her go." 

"Do you like her?" 

"Yes. Very laid back and Sarah here apparently really has Ember's heart, so to speak." 

"This true?"

"Yes, sir," Sarah affirmed. "She's a wonderful pet." 

"Really," the White Guardian mused. "Ember I rescued from an endangered place, which has since vanished, so she's extinct." 

"Her species are extinct," the Doctor corrected him. "I am sad to hear of that." 

"So am I, Doctor. At any rate, I would give her to you, but I am taking her to a place where the dragons of the universe have been put into a habitat. Once their numbers are strong enough, they will be reintroduced to the cosmos." 

"I understand. It'll be good to see the cosmos alive with the gentle beasts these dragons are." Sarah made her Doctor feel better by speaking. Ember nudged Sarah's head with her own. The gentle dragon vanished in a flash of light, the White Guardian said thanks and goodbye, then the screen went black.

"Cheer up, Sarah!" the Doctor put his hat on the coat rack. "There will be more dragons in the universe." 

"I know." she furtively wiped her eyes, but the Doctor caught the action. 

"There was nothing I could do to persuade him to let you keep her," he took her by the shoulders. "She will be more happy with her own kind, Sarah." 

"I know." 

"Look at me, Sarah," he gently chided her. "At least those blasted animals will not be around anymore, so I'll know where my sonic screwdriver is!" 

She laughed a little bit, then the moment broke when Sienna burst in, grabbing Sarah's arm. "Sarah! I found a rock climbing room in the TARDIS! It's huge and we can have some real fun in there!" 

The Doctor chuckled. "Go on, Sarah. Have some fun in there."   
END


	28. Lost and Found

Lost and Found

10/4/Sarah/Sienna

Mystery/Action/Adventure

A/N: Older Doctor means the scarfed one, younger means the three piece suited one

"Gentleman!" a familiar figure stood in the entranceway of the room. "We have a rare treat for you in store today. These two pods arrived about two weeks ago, each containing a humanoid species that we have not been privileged to treat before." 

"Haven't you treated them before?"

"No, I only treated their friends." they walked into the vast room and into the east wing of it. 

"Still, I know them a bit, and since their time is up, we may bring them out." 

"Tell us a little about them, Dr. Fohem," a keen student, eyes glued to her demanded. "I heard they were Gallifreyan."

"Yes, they are," Dr. Fohem grinned. "They are both quite pleasant when in their right minds. Right now, I am going to bring them out of their suspended animation state, they've had enough of it." 

"Continue." 

"As you all know, suspended animation gives the patient time to recover from whatever illness, injury, or procedure. It effectively cuts down on the recuperation time and saves the hospital some money as well." 

"Didn't I hear some chatter that it would be reserved for the most critically ill patients?" one student asked. 

Dr. Fohem walked to the end of the dark green corridor, drawing back the outer doors from the cryopods. The tenth doctor and the fourth one were locked in place, eyes closed, their bodies were marked at random with numerous bruises and cuts. A light purple shine on the surface of the pods showed them the substance holding them in suspended animation. Dr. Fohem expertly punched in the release coding on the symbol keypads, engaging the pods to shut down. The substance was drained, warm orange lights blinked on and off in the background, signifying the procedure was nearly done. 

"Stand by with the gurneys and drugs in case they become agitated," she directed. The inner door lock popped open and the younger looking Doctor opened up his eyes and looked at her blearily. "Doctor!" 

A student wrapped a blanket around his semi naked form and gently ushered him to lie down on one of the gurneys they had brought. The Doctor tried to speak, but all he could do was croak, unable to form a coherent word or sentence. 

"It's all right, Doctor," Dr. Fohem opened up the other pod containing the older Doctor. "Surely you remember me, Dr. Fohem of Zognoss medical facility. You've brought your companions here before." 

Neither of them appeared to understand her as they were wrapped up in blankets and put on the gurneys. 

"Their minds are a little slow to process this after two weeks in cryo-containment," Dr. Fohem spoke. "Quite normal and we shall put them in a room right away. First, the small dose of sedation to help." she let two students inject the Doctors, who's eyes fluttered and closed. Dr. Fohem and her student entourage brought the Doctors to a room that was already made up for them. 

"What happened to them, Dr. Fohem?" one asked. "I heard about them cavorting around in the galaxy and all that." 

"I don't know," she smoothed back the Doctor's curly hair. "They will tell me that themselves. And now, their bodies must undergo a series of testing to make sure that they are healed fully. The sedation will wear off when the testing is done, they may need assistance otherwise." 

"Right." the Doctors were taken away for testing that Dr. Fohem supervised all the way through.

Afterwards, she was sitting at the foot of the older Doctor's bed, going over the results and waiting for the sedation to wear off so she could discharge them.

"Blood counts normal, vital signs, pulse oximetry, pulse, hearts, everything's fine," she wrote out her discharge report. "There are no restrictions of any kind that they need to follow. Their transport is down in the cargo bay area, along with all other modes of transport." 

"Say what?" the younger Doctor blinked his brown eyes and sat up blearily. He raked his hands through his hair and they came away covered in purple gunk.

"What is this?"

"Residue from the cryopod suspended animation you two were in," she examined him briefly. "No side effects whatsoever."

"Cryopod? None of this is making sense!" 

"Don't get all agitated, I will tell you everything, then I must type up your discharge forms." she joined him on the bed. 

"Discharge?" 

"You and your counterpart here were brought in, I recognized you both immediately and took you under my care. Both of you were hurt, but not badly." 

"So why did we need suspended animation?"

"I am getting to that. Wherever you had been before, you were exposed to extremely high levels of a neurotoxin. Unfortunately, you both became infected with the substance and you recieved the antigen to counteract the effects. I then put you into suspended animation for two weeks so your damaged nerve centers could have time to heal and repair itself after the damage you suffered." 

"Any aftershocks?"

"No," she grinned. "All tests were negative, so you are free to go." 

"I don't remember getting here, what happened?"

"That I do not know myself, Doctor," Dr. Fohem stood up. "You will have to go back to your vehicle and figure that one out on your own. You will find the showers over there." she indicated and instructed them not to disappear until they signed the discharge papers. The older Doctor woke up to his dismay of finding himself covered in sticky purple gunk."What is this?"

"Awake, eh?!" his future incarnation trumpeted, grabbing a towel and discovering his personal items in a hospital bag with his ID number on it. " Come on then!" 

"What?" he was told everything, which left him just as confused as his future self was. "This doesn't add up to me." 

"Me neither, but that's all she can tell us for now. I'm gonna get clean and rid of this purple guck." he went into the shower.

When Dr. Fohem came back in with the papers, she saw both Doctors cleaned, dressed, and waiting for her. They signed everything necessary, she stripped off the bands on their wrists with their ID number on it. 

"Oh, Dr. Fohem, where are our companions?" the older Doctor flicked his scarf out of the way as he stood up.

"They are not here, Doctors. Perhaps they are in your vehicle in the cargo bay area." she added. 

"Perhaps...." he trailed off. " They're probably not fond of hospitals." 

"If I were them, I would be the same. Off, both of you." she ushered them out.

Little was said between them as they unlocked the TARDIS doors and came in, hitting the console immediately. 

"Sarah! Sienna!" they shouted. "I'll set the scanner to detect where they are," the older Doctor did so, dismayed when a moment later, he found the scanner revealed nothing. "Blast it! Where are they?"

"Well," the younger Doctor hung up his brown overcoat on the stand. "Look into the coordinate log and lock in to the place we were last besides here, it may help give us a clue." 

"Right. And we've just come from the hospital, our memories should return soon." he tried to reassure himself.

****  
"I can't remember a bloody thing about the past two or three weeks," the younger Doctor put his hand to his face, making his brown hair stick out in random directions. "Can't for the lives of me figure out why the girls are gone either!" 

"We've been at this for hours," the older Doctor unwound the scarf from his neck and hung it up. "What say we get some rest? Maybe we'll remember things better after a nice sleep." 

"Now that you mention it, I need some recharging myself." they strolled down the hall, thoroughly flabbergasted over the disappearance of their friends. It was an odd thing to wake up after two weeks and be told that their companions had been missing. Both of them felt tired and quite helpless, knowing their friends were out there and not knowing what was going on with them. They could drive themselves crazy, imagining the various scenarios in which their companions were sick or hurt, or about to be executed. They refused to go down that road, knowing it wouldn't help them at all to speculate. 

Both of the Doctors lay down in the library, dozing on the couches. 

*"Doctor!" Sarah shouted. "Be careful or you'll fall!" 

"Nonsense, Sarah!" he was inching along a rocky cliff, finding hand and footholds as he moved towards her. "I can do it fine!" his scarf waved in the breeze behind him as he accepted Sarah's hand and allowed her to pull him over to the wide flat rock they were standing on. 

"What next, Sienna?" the younger Doctor asked his companion. She surveyed the rocky cliffs and looked up, thinking it was a trick of the light. Inching forwards almost on tiptoe, she touched a strong thick rope. Pulling on it, she saw it had been fastened to a ring that was drilled into the top of the cliff overhang above them eight feet up. 

"Ladies first!" her Doctor chimed in with a grin. Sienna's eyes picked out another flat rock piece she could land on, then grasped the rope in both hands, telling everyone to step aside. She backed up nearly to the edge, then ran forward, gaining momentum, and sailed across the small gorge and landed on the other side perfectly. Grinning, she sent the rope back to them. 

"Brilliant!" her Doctor crowed happily as he let Sarah go. He went next, and the older Doctor went last. 

Just as he was about to grab on to the ledge, the iron ring suddenly snapped, sending him about a foot further down from his goal. He managed to cling to the outcrop, both hands digging furiously. The rope and iron ring went falling down into the gorge and landing with a small thump. The Doctor clenched his teeth and hung on grimly, scrambling to try to find something he could haul himself up on. 

"Doctor!" Sarah cried. Sienna's Doctor pulled her away to the side as Sienna crouched near him. 

"Doctor, find a foothold!" she coached him.

"I'm getting tired! My hands can't hold on much longer!" he told her. 

"Doctor, look at me!" he forced his gaze upwards to see Sienna, her hands on his. "You can do this, just find a foothold and we'll get you up." 

"Sienna...."

"Come on! There's no time for an argument, do what I say!" she barked out, in a tone of voice that he mechanically obeyed without question. He caught footholds, extended his hand out to Sienna, who caught it and her Doctor grabbed her waist and helped her pull him up. Sarah joined in, pulling his other hand. When he was able to stand up, he unwittingly toppled over on to Sienna, who in turn, fell on her Doctor. All of them panting, he looked into Sienna's brown eyes and gave her a sheepish grin. She returned it, then made an expression of pain.

"What is it?" he turned concerned in a flash of light.

"You're crushing me!" his elbows were digging into her ribcage. 

He blushed, his toothy grin diminished. "Sorry." he hustled off, pulling her up, and her Doctor up.

"I'm sure you are," she retorted, looking at the new section of cliff that they had to cross. "Ugh, does this cliff face never end?!" 

"Well we're moving sideways, Sienna," her Doctor looked around. "The other reasonable thing to do would to be to go up." 

"Good idea," she admitted. "This section could be easier, for one thing." 

"Can I see your gun?" Sienna handed Sarah one of her magnums. Sarah fired at a rock overhang, causing it to break off and land in front of them, providing a bridge to an easily climb-able cliff face. 

"Smart girl!" Sienna holstered her weapon and followed Sarah over the stone, easily finding hand and footholds. The Doctors followed suit, being careful and ascending quickly.

"Whoops!" Sienna's Doctor sat down on the wide sedimentary rock, hands to his nose. 

"What is it?" Sarah asked as the other two were taking in the view. "Doctor, you're bleeding!" 

"It's just the altitude," he explained, tissues coming out of his pockets and applied to his nose. "Some people get nosebleeds at this height and I guess I'm one of them, eh?" he winked, making Sarah laugh.

"Can you figure out where we are exactly?" Sienna and the older Doctor gazed over the horizon, ignoring the wind whipping around them. 

"I can't pinpoint a name for it, no. Look over there," he pointed out a cluster of buildings together, about half a mile away. "Perhaps we can get information from them." 

"Good thing we scaled this rock wall," Sienna shielded her eyes and looked around more intently. "This divides the entire place!" 

"Probably goes around the whole planet," he turned to see Sarah tending the other Doctor. "Everything OK?"

"Nosebleed from the altitude," a slightly nasal voice replied. "I'll be OK in a sec." 

"All right." 

With the nosebleed gone, the foursome walked within distance of the buildings, then studied their options on how to get down. Sarah looked, then saw a thin straight pole, just within reach of her. She glanced downwards, seeing it was anchored in rock. Without a second thought, she jumped from the rock to the pole, catching it and wrapping herself around the pole, sliding down like a fireman. Sienna followed, as the Doctors did. When they landed, they walked nonchalantly up to the buildings as if it was part of their Sunday stroll. 

As the door opened, they were greeted with a flash of light, and then nothing. The four crumpled to the floor like bottles knocked from a high shelf.*

"Ugh!" the younger Doctor rolled over on his side, startling awake. His brown eyes wide, he stared for several moments, unseeing at the wall as he comprehended the dream. The four of them, on some hiking excursion on some planet. He knew that both Doctors had suffered minor drawbacks, him with the nosebleed, his older self nearly falling into a gorge, but there had to be more to it than that. It was early days, he admitted to himself. He could remember more than that, possibly later on that would help him get to his friends.

"Oh boy," he stood up and went into the kitchen, feeling hungry. "At least I think this is a memory coming to me in a dream, not a dream etched into my memory!" he procured a few items, slapped them together, then stared at the wall for a few minutes. "So hard to tell the difference sometime." 

"I presume the girls have been kidnapped," his curly haired self walked in. "There's no other explanation for this. They're our loyal companions and would have been through it with us." 

"When did you get up?" 

"I heard you slamming things around in here." he grinned ruefully. 

"Have a dream as vivid as mine?" he outlined it. "I can't tell if it's a dream or a real memory, since it came to me when I was asleep." 

"Could be either. I really think it's the memory coming into your mind as a dream. They can do that sometimes. Your mind is more receptive when you are unconscious remember?"

"Funny pun." he took a bite and chewed savagely. 

"Yes, how very witty of me," his older self grinned sheepishly. "Let's finish up in here and get back to the console room. We could be there or have slept through the TARDIS alert." he put his hands in his red peacoat pockets and walked away down the hall, leaving his future self to mull over the dream one more time, then hastily depart the kitchen to literally keep up with himself.

When they both entered the console room, they heard a loud thunk as the TARDIS set itself down on the planet. Preparing themselves, they flicked on the TV monitor and saw the outside was like in the Doctor's dream. 

"Is this what you saw?" he put on his fedora and scarf as his younger self shed the brown overcoat he liked to wear.

"Yes. Peculiar isn't it?" 

"Curioser and curioser." they opened up the door and stepped out as dust devils whirled in the desert like atmosphere.

****

"Was this in your dream?" hand over his fedora, he took off his hat and rolled it up, squinting in the sun. The Doctor pulled out a pair of sunglasses and put them on, looking around in the gold and green colored sand. There was only one sun, but it was at least twice the size of the earth sun. The sand was baked beneath their shoes and they were both instantly grateful they were wearing shoes. The whole scene had swirling dust storms intermittently, the sand raining down on them. After a moment, it stopped, then the wind shifted direction. The older Doctor studied the horizon for a moment, it was a murky gray and green, indicating some sort of dwellings were not too far away.

His future self did the same thing, wearing mirrored gray shades while his past self wore black Ray Ban shades. Measuring up the situation quickly, he shielded his eyes from the harsh glare of the sun as he scanned the horizon as well.

"Yeah," he knelt down and examined the sand. "Look, the girls' bootprints are here, so they've got to be!" 

"We've got to be careful here," his scarf whipped in the wind like a windsock. "We don't know what happened to them, they could be dead, for all we know." 

"That's cruel!" 

"But it could be true. I think knowing is not as bad as not knowing. Since our memories have been....vague at the best, we must be cautious." 

"I understand." 

"Good lad." he put his hand on his future self's shoulder for a moment, then began to walk. 

"Lad?!" he sputtered. " I'm 903 years old!" 

"You look much younger than your age!" they proceeded to walk on, looking for any signs of their friends. 

"Did you ever think we would end up like this?" 

"Like what?"

"This," he indicated around them, sand crunching under his canvas sneakers. "On a desert planet, on pins and needles not knowing whether our companions have survived whatever happened or not?"

"I wouldn't quite put it in those words." 

"Well, what's your idea of a good...jaunt out with your friends?"

"You're me, you should know." 

"Tastes change rapidly." 

"But you're still me," his older self was amused a little bit. "There's no point in obsessing over something that may or may not be true. The buildings aren't far away, so we'll get there soon. We parked closer this time, if they are indeed here as you say." 

"I know they're here and you do too. So be it." they walked along in silence until the older Doctor stopped and shielded his eyes from the sun.

"What is it?" 

"Don't you see?" 

"Oh, Rassilon," he scampered over and picked up a sleek black object lying in the sand a few yards away. " It's Sienna's magnum! One of them," he sniffed at it and looked at his past self. "Hasn't been fired, so I hope that's a good thing." 

"Looks that way." the magnum was put in his blazer pocket for safekeeping. 

"Keep on then." they stood up and walked a few yards more, then stopped, seeing another item on the ground. The older Doctor picked it up, a windbreaker jacket, black with green stripes on it. 

"This is Sarah's," he realized. "Look." 

Dark red spots flecked the interior green fabric. The Doctor touched it, his nails scraping against the woven nylon fabric and making a scratching sound.

"It's blood." 

"Hopefully not Sarah's blood." his younger self offered hopefully. He stuffed the windbreaker in a pocket, then they both began walking, doubling their pace so they could get there quicker. Anxiously wanting to see their companions after what they had found, they reached the buildings in no time at all.

"Oh, sweet Rassilon, get down!" they huddled down behind a boulder. 

"What is it?"

"Daleks," they cautiously peered over the side of the boulder, seeing the familiar creatures rolling around outside. "Relocating to here." 

"Blasted creatures." 

"But what are they doing here?" 

"Looks like they might be looking for something here." 

"CORRECT, DOCTORS." both of them screwed their eyes shut, their hands immediately went up, not wanting to look around and confirm that a Dalek had sneaked up behind them.

"UP ON YOUR FEET AND MARCH TOWARDS THE BUILDING!" the eyestalk twitched as they reluctantly went towards the building, then entered it. The other Daleks paid no attention whatsoever, and the Dalek escorting them ordered them through a series of corridors and doors. In one room, a disfigured man was sitting down in the lower half of a Dalek casing. A tall slim man, cloaked in black and wearing glasses, was standing by his side. 

"Ah, Doctor," a computerized voice sounded eerily familiar. "You both came back here. I was wondering when you would return." 

"Not soon enough for you, Davros?" he retorted. "By the way, this is another Time Lord. I hope you can contend with both of us." 

Davros shifted his single eye over to the younger Doctor, who remembered the foe very well. 

"I remember you both when you came here the first time!" the Dalek creator remarked. "Obviously I did not put a high enough doseage into you." 

"What?!" identical looks of astonishment, they gaped at the crippled Kaled and his right hand cronie. 

"Your memories have been erased? So much the better for me." Davros looked at the older Doctor. "Nyder, put them in a containment cell. I will interrogate them further later on. If this is true and their memories have been erased, so much the better for us." 

"Davros, hold on a moment," the older Doctor interjected. "Our memories have been vague at best and have we been here before?"

"You both were infected with my neurotoxin." 

"We know that much!" the younger Doctor struggled, but was poked by the Dalek.

"Nyder, if you please." Davros went away as Nyder took them to the cell. Once inside, the younger Doctor asked Nyder if the neurotoxin had any side effects like memory loss.

"You two were the first experiment," the dry voice sounded like they remembered. "So I would classify memory loss as a side effect, yes." 

"Ah." they sat down on cots as Nyder left.

"Well then, that partially answers a question, at least." the older Doctor steepled his fingers together, deep in thought. His younger self surveyed the stark white room with one window, an iron bar across it. He went over to the cot and sat down on it, deep in thought himself.

"Maybe if we try to sleep, more memories might come to the surface?"

"Good idea. Davros will bring us out at least an hour from now. We shall see." they lay down on their cots and closed their eyes. 

Fifteen minutes later, the guard outside their cell reported in to Davros personally. After a salute, Davros asked what the two men were up to.

"Both of them appear to be asleep, sir." 

"Good for them," Davros's blue eye gleamed. "They shall rest up while they can. Bring them to me in three hours!" he rolled away.

****

*The four were taken in by the Daleks and brought to Davros. The Dalek creator gave commands that the four be put in a containment cell. Once in there, Sienna and Sarah sat down side by side and watched their Doctors roam around.

"What do we do now?" 

"Sienna," her Doctor eyed her. "Feel up to doing a little sister act?"

"What?"

He whispered to her a plan, of which they all agreed to. The Doctors positioned themselves on either sides of the entrance door, then flashed the girls the thumbs up signal. Sienna inwardly grinned, then threw herself into her act. She uttered a cry of distress, but was rebuked by the guard, telling her to shut up. 

"Take it up a few notches!" her Doctor hissed to her.

"Oh, guard! Guard!" Sarah began to rap on the door frantically. 

"What do you want?"

"It's my friend! She's hurt badly!" on cue, Sienna let out a scream that nearly shattered everyone's eardrums. The guard unlocked the door, entered, in time to see Sienna lying on the cot, all curled up on one side. Her face drawn in feigned pain, she began to pant loudly, clutching her stomach in fake distress. Sarah watched the guard as he made Sienna lie flat and he examined her. When he touched a random spot, she recoiled in pain, tears streamed out of the corner of her eye. 

"Oh, God, don't do that!" she cried out. "It hurts so bad!" adding a series of moans and other guttural sounds, the others could see that the guard had fallen for the act. They themselves had to pause in momentary awe of Sienna's acting skills. 

"I'll get one of the medtechs to look you over." flustered, the young man stood up. 

Sarah, the sonic screwdriver from her Doctor in her hand, had it set to stun as she aimed it at the guard's face. He stood there, stupefied for a moment as Sienna got up behind him, brought up her hands, locked together in a fist, then brought it down on the back of the guard's head. He collapsed in a wordless heap as the others locked him in a cell, then made a dash for it. 

"If that's you in pretend pain, I'd hate to hear it when you're in real pain!" the older Doctor hissed to Sienna, who beamed at him. He put his sonic screwdriver away, then motioned them all to be quiet as two guards passed by in the opposite direction, chatting.

"I wish they'd get that loose tile under that stall in the men's room fixed." 

"Yeah, leads down there to all those new experiments the mechanical man is doing," the other chimed in. "Robert the other night banged his head on the side of the stall and found that tile was loose." 

"Old drunken bastard." they walked on. 

The bathrooms were right across the hall. After checking to make sure it was safe, they all went in. The older Doctor yanked open the tile, which was a secret trapdoor, ushered the girls in, then got in himself. The younger Doctor cloaked himself in a long black trenchcoat so he looked like the other outdoor workers, standing and looking for opposition as they hustled down. He was about to go in after them, when the door opened and a guard came in. He quickly straightened up, going over to the sinks.

"'Ey, mate," the guard slurred. "Yoooo around these 'ere 'arts?"

"What? Er, yeah," he moved to the upright stall next door and eyed the guy. "Been a lot of change here recently, eh?"

A loud belch sounded and the Doctor coughed, to cover up a snigger that he knew was Sienna. She was a mature adult, but she found farting and belching very funny. 

"Dis planet's got some pretty goood likkah!" 

"That a fact? What are you doing here anyway? It's just all desert." 

"Mining, lad, minin' somethig real valuable to dat Davros and Nyder. Man, Nyder's a weasel if I evah saw one!" 

"I agree with you there." 

"Let's shake on it!" they both zipped up. 

"You done in there, Sambo?" the Doctor called, making it look like he was waiting for a friend. Sienna nudged the older Doctor, who didn't move or make a sound. 

"Be there in a moment, Chuck!" she deepened her voice.

"Chuck? Your other friend's name is Ralf?" giggling at his joke, the drunken sot left the bathroom. The Doctor jumped in, all had to get down on their hands and knees, following the pipelining into a T junction. Peering underneath the grating, they saw a lab room with numerous experiments bubbling away. A quick buzz of the screwdriver, Sarah's thin nimble little hands grabbed the grating before it could fall and rattle. She put it beside herself, then watched as the Doctors slid down the shaft, landing eight feet below. Sienna was caught by her Doctor, then Sarah was caught by her own Doctor.

"Oh, for pete's sake," the lab had canisters full of rocks and minerals mined from the planet's interior. "This is teredonite! It's perfectly harmless to us, but there are some aliens out there who die from exposure to it." the older Doctor grabbed a sample and examined it closely. 

"Well then, solves that mystery," Sienna sat on the counter, accidentally tripping a switch. A hidden shelf popped open, displaying unmarked bottles. 

"What the devil?" the Doctors looked at the shelf. 

"Neurotoxins, Doctor," Davros's voice sounded. "Still in the experimental stages." 

"Can't keep an insane scientist down," the older Doctor quipped. "Still a loony." 

"Are you done with your juvenile name calling? Nyder, take the females by force and restrain them." Nyder, assisted by a guard, managed to accomplish Davros's demand. Another guard stood near the shelf as Sienna and Sarah recognized him as the one they'd knocked out earlier. He bore a small red mark near his left temple, and he looked at the girls with a glare of pure hatred.

"Can't handle being bested by a girl?" Sienna taunted as two Daleks entered the room. 

"Daleks, stand sentry." Davros commanded. The guard's face grew red, the stare was icy. He approached her and slapped her in the face. Sienna retaliated by thrusting her knee into his groin. 

"These two women will be of great value to me." Davros remarked to Nyder. The guard stared at Sienna with a look of pure hatred, then brought up his hand, giving her a karate nerve chop on the back of her neck, making her close her eyes and collapse limply to the floor.

"Sienna!" her Doctor went to her, picking up her head and prying open her eyelid. 

"Leave her, she is of no use." 

"Davros, you cruel and miserable excuse for a Kaled!" he spat out. 

"I am one of the few remaining Kaleds!" Davros's voice rose up a decibel. "Give them a dose of the neurotoxin!" 

"Wait!" the older Doctor held up his hand, signifying he wanted to speak. "What unfortunate race has gotten in your way so you want to destroy it?"

" It is of no importance to you, Doctors." Nyder interjected.

"Let Davros speak!" 

"It is for a warlike people called the Sycorax. They have messed with our invasion fleet and retaliated successfully against us for two hundred years! We shall prevail!" Davros's voice became high pitched, himself sounding like a Dalek. "Give them the neurotoxin!"

The guards did so, injecting them with a needleless syringe. The Doctors both collapsed then, each had one of their hands shaking slightly. Sarah was the only one left standing, though she fought to get away from the guards. A Dalek stared at her through it's black eyestalk. 

"You monster!" she spat at Davros. "You've killed them." 

Davros stared at her. " Ever since the Doctor has interfered the first time, I knew I had to make something to slow him and his friends down. This neurotoxin will kill them slowly, girl. See their limbs are twitching, the sign the neurotoxin is working. Take them away."* 

The Doctor twitched in his sleep, not hearing the guard come to the cell and unlock the door. The younger Doctor nudged his past self, startling him awake. 

"I've got news for you." he related the dream briefly to his future self.

"Makes lots of sense." 

"On your feet!" 

****

Davros was behind a desk, watching as both Doctors were brought in and made to sit down in chairs. The creator of the Daleks waited until Nyder was at his side before he began.

"How did you escape this complex?"

"We don't know!" 

"You lie!" Nyder placed an electrode sensor on each Doctor's carotid artery. " These sensors will shock you if you do not tell me the truth." 

"Are they hooked up to a lie detector? Because really, nobody can tell when we're lying or not." 

"I do not care for your flippant attitude, young man. They are connected to a polygraph." 

"We are not lying!" the older Doctor said sternly. 

"Davros," Nyder interrupted calmly. " They are not lying." 

"So, how did you get rid of my neurotoxin?"

"We were taken to a hospital on a distant planet. I don't know anything other than we were thawed from suspended animation!" 

"You are both useless then!" Davros proclaimed.

"Davros," the younger Doctor controlled himself. "Where are the females we were here with?" 

"Of what does it matter?" 

"You're a clever man, Davros. Surely you know what it's like to have friends to share adventures with." his expression softened.

"I did have friends once," the scientist said softly, lost in a moment. "And then I had an accident and I became this! The world must pay! My Daleks will be the supreme beings of all the cosmos!" 

"Where are our friends?!" the older Doctor barked out so loudly, even Davros shut up.

"They are working in the mines." 

"There, was that so hard?" both Doctors were subjected to a sudden pulsation of electricity so bad, they collapsed on the floor. The guards took them back to the containment cell and locked them in. 

"You see they ask about their friends, Nyder," the Kaled scientist's semi robotic voice reached his assistant's ears across the room. "That is a weakness and can be exploited for various reasons." 

"Yes, Davros. See they are suffering now because they don't know where their females are." Nyder's eyes glinted with genuine awe and admiration for his boss. 

Nyder Vascelk had always been the assistant helping the scientist on Skaro. He undertook military ops training and he was stationed near the Thal base when Davros befriended him. The scientist had been looking for another assistant ever since his old one had an unfortunate accident, and he found the perfect servant in Nyder. They came into service during the halfway point of the thousand year war between the Kaleds and the Thals, Davros explaining to Nyder what his plans were to end the war. With Davros leading and Nyder following, they created their own scientist elite panel, Nyder picking out the best military minds and put them all in the Kaled dome. The scientist taught Nyder many things along the way, and they both continued to do so, even after the Kaled complex under the dome had been destroyed. Davros had planned a secret escape route to an escape pod, and they jettisoned themselves out to a desolate planet.

Half an hour later, the younger Doctor stirred. "Oh, my head," he moaned, seeing his past self reviving as well. "We've got to get out of here." 

"How?" he asked weakly. "They won't fall for the same trick twice." 

"Daleks can sense the sonic screwdriver. We must use ours and lure them here. They'll break down the door, we break their eyestalks, we escape, grab the girls, then toss explosives into the mine shaft." 

"What about Davros?" 

"Or weasel Nyder? We'll leave them to rot here. Besides, Davros seems to have nearly as many lives as we do," he got up, dusting off his teal suit. "Come on." the sonic screwdrivers went off and in no time, a Dalek fried the guard, then burst into the cell, leaving a huge hole. Each Doctor put away the tool, the younger one brought out Sienna's magnum and shot the eyestalk, shattering it.

"MY VISION IS IMPAIRED! I CANNOT SEE!" it started going haywire, blundering everywhere. 

"Tell someone who cares!" the Doctors escaped, spying a locker outside the building, marked EXPLOSIVES. The sonic screwdriver destroyed the lock, and both started to arm themselves. 

"There we go, plenty of C4 to go around!" the older Doctor took the C4, the younger took the fuses and a box of matches.

Just off to their sides was the mine shaft. The Doctors quickly fashioned an impromptu charge, putting it into a cart that was on the rails. The younger one hit the alarm, sending all the workers well away from the shaft. Breaking the brake handle, they watched the cart go deeply into the planet. When the fuse was no longer reeling off the spool, the Doctors put it on top of the ground and lighted it. The fuse burned quite quickly, reaching the end in a minute's time. A shattering explosion was heard, shaking the ground. 

When it was over, the Doctors picked among the workers, finally identifying their friends. Taking them by the wrists, they dashed back to the TARDIS before the Daleks could come after them. Once inside, they found Daleks rolling up outside the TARDIS. Through the TV monitor, the older Doctor put the shields up, deflecting the shots the Daleks fired and sending the shots right back to them. Soon, all the Daleks were shot and smouldering wrecks. 

"Oh, thank Rassilon!" they sank down near their companions.

Sarah and Sienna both wore the clothes they had before, torn to rags. They were liberally smeared with dirt and soot, a few cuts here and there on their skin was evident. Both had not uttered a word throughout the ordeal.

"What a fun time, eh?" they jested, trying to get them to smile.

"Sienna?"

"Sarah?"

They looked at their Doctors, not a flicker of recognition passed their faces. 

"It's us, the Doctors." the younger one explained. Sienna put her hands on either side of his face, saying his name once.

"It's me." he closed his hands over hers. She drew back her hands and both girls jumped up and started backing away in alarm.

"What is it?" the older Doctor asked. "You look like you've just seen a ghost!" 

"It can't be you!" Sarah finally said.

"Why not?"

"Because you're both dead!"   
END


	29. Hypnosis

Hypnosis

4/10/Sienna/Sarah

Major angst, H/C, and introspection

"Dead?!" the younger Doctor got up and walked towards Sienna, who had sprang up from her sitting position. He advanced as she backed away, her eyes wild and confused. "How can I be dead? I can't die so easily, you know that!" 

"It doesn't matter now, you're dead! I must have been knocked out in another mine collapse and I must be hallucinating!" 

"Another?" he took her arm and eyed her. "Do you hurt anywhere?" 

"Let go of me!" she wrenched her arm away from his grip, but he wrapped his arms around her in a front to back hug. "Ugh! I don't want to get rough, but if I have to!" she threatened.

Sarah, standing in the corridor doorway, watched as Sienna and her Doctor grappled with each other. The older Doctor got up and touched Sarah's arm gently, looking at her in surprise when she recoiled like he'd just branded her with a hot iron. The intrepid journalist fled down the hallway, the sound of sobs and a door slamming were evident. The Doctor followed, pressing his ear to her door and hearing her for a full minute. His blue eyes darted around, wanting to reassure her that he was not dead, but in her state of mind, he felt it was likely that he would only make it worse.

"Oh, Sarah." he said in a low voice only he could hear. Her heartwrenching sobs were almost more than he could bear, so he turned away, numbly walking back down the corridor. 

"Could use some help here!" his younger self slammed Sienna facefirst against the wall, attempting to bend her arms behind her back, but she struggled like a wild animal, lashing out in any way that she could. As soon as he'd been successful in bending her arms back, she jumped up and brought her feet up against the wall, using them to propel them backwards. Falling on his back, in his momentary confusion, he let go of her arms, which Sienna had counted on. She got up, keeping her distance from both Doctors. 

As soon as her back was turned, the older Doctor went into action. He grabbed her by the waist, picking her up off the floor and threw her against the TARDIS wall, eyeing her. She glared down at him, startling him; he'd never seen such a cold and menacing look from her. 

"Imposter!" she clenched her teeth in rage. "Our Doctors would never hurt us!" 

"I'm not trying to hurt you! I'm trying to make sure you don't hurt yourself!" 

Sienna didn't respond to that, after subconsciously realizing his scarf could be used against him. She'd already had to do it once before when he was possessed, so she secretly began winding one arm around the long length and when she had enough of it, she yanked upwards, catching him off guard. He dropped her, sending her tumbling to the console. Her arm still entangled in his scarf, she wound one of her legs in it and yanked with her arm and leg, causing him to fall down near her. 

The younger Doctor was standing up, rubbing his head from where he'd hit it and briefly lost consciousness. He saw the tableau before him and began to advance again on his companion. Sienna's eyes traveled to his blazer, which was hanging on the coat stand. A small glint of black caught her eye and she realized it was her magnum gun. Throwing herself forward and narrowly missing the older Doctor's hands, she toppled the coat stand over and sent her magnum skittering across the floor. The younger Doctor met her eyes and both knew he knew what she was thinking. 

He ran for it as did she and when he was about to pick up the gun, Sienna thrust out one of her legs, effectively tripping him up. She grabbed the gun and stood up, aiming at either Doctor. 

"Whoa, I'll have no violence on this ship." the older Doctor stood up, his right wrist was throbbing. 

"Agreed," the younger Doctor remembered Sarah. "Sienna, Sarah's in her room, blubbering. Why don't you go to her?"

"If you two did anything to her!" Sienna threatened, backing away into the corridor.

"Now I'm offended," the older Doctor grinned. "I've never done anything to hurt either of you." 

"Sienna, come on now," her Doctor tried. "Davros has done something to you two. We need to scan your brain and see. You weren't like this before we went to that planet. You need help." 

"No, you need help!" she declared. "Both of you, thinking you could be our Doctors when in fact they are dead!" 

"Davros tricked you! He broke your spirit so you would work for him and not be preoccupied with us!" the older Doctor nearly shouted.

"Shut up!" she turned tail and ran off down to Sarah's room. The Doctors turned to each other and quickly began to formulate a plan.

"Sarah? It's Sienna," she put the gun away and rapped on the door of her friend. The door clicked, and Sarah's bloodshot eyes peered out at her. "Can I come in?"

The two girls sat down on Sarah's bed, Sienna curled up on one of the pillows. 

"I never thought I'd get to be so comfy again." 

"They're gone, Sienna," Sarah picked at her stuffed bear, cuddlng up with it. "Our Doctors. We don't know how to fly the TARDIS so we could at least go home." 

"I know, I know." 

"How come you're not crying?" 

"We grieve differently, Sarah. I feel too furious to be sad right now." 

"Oh." 

"Well look at it this way, we are completely exhausted and we need sleep. Tomorrow, we'll avenge our Doctors." 

"And after that?"

"I never plan very far ahead," Sienna's gaze turned darkly at her friend. "We have to protect ourselves from those bastards who think they're the Doctors." 

"I'm with you. We better stay together in here where we'll be safe." 

"Right." 

During the TARDIS night, when everyone had fallen into an exhausted sleep, Sarah and Sienna both got up. With their eyes closed, they went into the bathroom, pulled out a drawer, then each selected a double bladed razor. They had cleaned up before bed, now each poised the razor over the skin of their wrists, and dangled there for a moment. Sienna, in her blue plaid pajamas and camisole top, and Sarah, in her brown and pink striped pajamas, both lifted up the razors simultaneously, and hacked a long slash into their skin. 

Both of them emitted screams of pain, then Sarah went near the tub and turned on the water, trying to wash away all the blood. Sienna did the same, leaning near the sink and turning the faucet on. 

The Doctors burst in, having picked the lock with one of their sonic screwdrivers. They looked over at the bed, only seeing rumpled sheets and nothing else. Dashing over into the bathroom, they saw the girls. 

"Oh my Rassilon!" the Doctors rushed to their aide. Sienna and Sarah were both already white faced, watching their blood going down the drain as if they were mesmorized by it. Tears went down Sarah's face because of the pain it caused her, but Sienna's face was dry. 

"Sarah? Sienna!" the younger Doctor waved his hand in front of Sienna's face. Turning off the water and applying pressure to stop the bleeding, he saw the bloody razors lying by the sink. Her eyes gave off no recognition, no nothing. He snapped his fingers in front of her eyes, but he still got no reaction. 

****

"Blimey," the older Doctor tried it too and got no response as well. "It's like they're under drugs or a trance or something." 

"Neither of them sleepwalk." picking up their companions, they hustled them on down to the medbay. Tending to their companions' cuts, they both stitched up the injuries, smoothing out bandages with the surgical tape. Neither girl noticed or did anything during the procedure. 

"There is a chance," the older Doctor threw out the gloves and packaging. "That they'll come out of their trances and start this all over again. I don't like the idea of locking them up, but if it's for their own good until we can do more.." 

"No, I don't either," his younger self said thoughtfully. "Why don't we give them a sedation plus muscle relaxant? I don't want to fight Sienna again!" 

"Better than nothing," while one injected the girls, the other readied the scanner. "They'll wake up soon, have we got enough time to get a good scan done?" 

"Yeah, should be sufficient enough," the scanner fitted right over the girls' heads and began to scan. "We've got to know what Davros did to them!" 

"Do you think it's his neurotoxin causing all this hullabaloo?" he adjusted his scarf, making sure it was out of Sienna's reach at all times. "Maybe it reacts differently to humans?"

"I bet you're right!" 

"Let's see what the scanner says first." a few moments later, the scanner retracted, done, and the computer printed out the results. 

"Unidentifiable toxin introduced at the base of the spine, underneath the neck," they checked their companions and each found a small red mark. "Mild skin reaction to it...the question is, how do we eradicate it?" 

"This toxin was nearly lethal to us, but I bet it is weak in humans. Maybe we just have to let it run it's course?" 

"No, too dangerous. Let's see if we can extract a bit of the cerebrospinal fluid to check for abnormalities." 

"Couldn't hurt." they both armed themselves and turned over their friends. They checked the placement of the needles, then managed to extract a small sample. After putting them on slides and coloring the cells with iodine, they sat down at a pair of high powered electron microscopes. 

"Very intriguing," the younger Doctor got up and snatched a couple of ampoule bottles. "I think we can easily counteract this, restore the normal balance." they began to mix up a chemical brew, occasionally remarking to each other a couple of harried instructions. After a few moments, they advanced on their companions, who were starting to show signs of awakening. 

"Right at the base of the spine." they did so quickly, having to use needle syringes for accuracy. When they were done, Sarah turned over onto her back, her eyes rolling around in her head. Her Doctor looked down at her anxiously, wondering for a moment whether she was back in her right mind or not. He snaked his hand out to hers, looking at her and grinning when she pressed his hand right back. 

"Hello, Sarah." 

"Doctor?" her voice was a bit weaker than what he would like, but he would take it. He propped her so she was sitting up, and began to tell her what had been going on.

"Apparently, Davros used both of you to work in his mines. What he didn't count on was you two being so high spirited and absolutely refusing to do anything until you heard about us. So, he gave you a dose of the neurotoxin as well. It reacted differently to you than to us, Sarah." 

"What did it do to you?" 

"We don't remember much of it, but it paralyzed us, then began to decimate our Time Lord nervous system. In your case, it was used as a neural inhibitor, effectively being used with hypnotic suggestion that both of us were dead." 

"Why wouldn't we have just been hypnotized?"

"Because not everyone reacts the same. The toxin also reduced you to a trancelike state. I suspect Davros thought it was for efficiency, it reduced your awareness of how tired you were getting and all of that." 

"Will we be OK?"

"Of course!" he looked down at her with a benevolent grin still on his face. "You two look far too pale for my taste. Both of you were worked like dogs down there, I'm sure you would have been worked to death." 

The younger Doctor was relating all this to Sienna, who groggily was poking at her bandage. He put his hand over it and told her not to touch it, which she obediently did.

"Doctor, my mind's so...screwy right now," Sienna's eyes fastened on to her Doctor's. "Like a million things flying around at once in here." 

"That's easily cured," he giggled. "You both lost a fair amount of blood, so you'll be thirsty for awhile. We'll set you up real nice in your rooms and once you're physically well, we'll give you time in the zero room." 

"Oh, OK." 

As soon as they were installed in their rooms and asleep, the Doctors sat around in the library, thinking they should be doing something, yet not sure of what it was. 

"Why did they cut themselves?" the older Doctor didn't want to talk about it, but if he didn't, he would not get an answer. 

"Trance side effect?"

"Oh, bullocks!" he snapped at his younger self. "I hardly think people get side effects from trances!" 

"No, but what else have we got to go on?"

"True." 

They brooded for another few minutes, turning the possibilities in their minds before his younger self gave a start.

"I've got it! Hypnotic suggestion!" 

"What?"

"Listen, Davros put in the hypnotic suggestion of us being dead! What if later on because he suspected we would come back and his plan would be foiled, he put another suggestion in there like a failsafe? So even if his mining operation went belly-up like it did, he would be sure of us suffering the losses of our friends later on!" 

"Davros ensures misery." his older self said bitterly.

"That's his way," he agreed. "That's Davros and we can't change him." 

"True." 

"So with this toxin gone, these hypnotic suggestions should disappear?"

"Not necessarily. Remember when I put the hypnotic suggestion into Sienna's mind? Most of those suggestions need a trigger to work. We have to infiltrate the girls' minds and remove the suggestion to put things back the way that they were." 

"I hate doing that, going in where I'm not invited." 

"Never stopped you before," grinning, they went to their companions' rooms. "Sarah?"

"Doctor?" she blinked blearily, he was gratified to see the color coming back into her face. 

He briefly explained to her the theory they had come up with. Sarah listened with half an ear, still mostly in the grip of the deep sleep she had achieved a couple of hours ago. Wanting to get back to sleep more than anything, she said yes to everything he said and asked her, then fell asleep as he was probing her mind. Sienna had done the same thing, not caring if the Doctors had wanted to put a stick of dynamite in her ears, she just wanted some restful sleep.

Each Doctor, going into their companions' minds, saw Nyder implanting the hypnotic suggestion. The weasel like face made the Doctors glare angrily, but they soon recovered themselves. Finding their friends' subconscious minds, they saw the hypnotic suggestion, a large black object sitting there. Advancing, they used their telepathic powers and rid the minds of the parasite. 

"That was easy," the older Doctor opened up his eyes and watched Sarah, asleep. "You'll be all set now, Sarah. I think I should get some sleep as well." 

The next day, Sienna rose up around 11 AM like usual. Outfitting herself in jean shorts, blue V neck shortsleeve top and her usual running sneakers, Sienna walked out to the console room and saw everybody gathered there.

"Hello, Sienna!" the older Doctor grinned at her, giving her that famous smile of his. "Fancy a trip today?"

"I would like nothing better, Doctor," she returned the grin, brushing her hair away from her face. "What part of the cosmos should we go and irritate some baddies today, eh?" 

"I like your sense of adventure," he flipped a switch. "This time, I thought we'd go to someplace I think you would like very much." 

"And where would that be, eh?"

"Salem, Massachusetts." 

Her brown eyes lit up. "The Salem witch trials museum?"

"Er, not quite." 

"What then?"

"The actual witch trials," he eyed his friends. "May want to change into period garb. The TARDIS will help you out there." 

"Come on Sarah, to the TARDIS clothes cave!" the girls took off in glee.  
END


	30. Salem 1692

Life In 1692

4/10/Sarah/Sienna

A/N: Not very accurate, I took some artistic license to try to create a good story! 

"Come on girls, we don't have all day!" the younger Doctor called out, clapping his hands in impatience as his older self, hat and scarf on his head and neck, leaned against the TARDIS doors. 

"Doctor, this is so freakin'...impractical!" Sienna's irritated voice sounded from the corridor. 

"Like it or no, it's the period dress! Hustle it up!" 

Sarah emerged, in a blue skirt, lace up heeled shoes. She had done up her brown hair to pull it back away from her face and wound it into a small braid at the back of her head. Her bodice was a darker blue, her sleeves came down to her elbows. Soft white gauzy material formed a three quarter inch sleeve, stitched into the material at her elbows. The top of the bodice had been cut into a square, with the white material sewn into it. 

"Very nice, Sarah!" her Doctor beamed at her as she turned for him. "It may be cold out there, so you should wear this." he handed her a brown shawl. 

"God, these sleeves are tight!" she complained. "I could hardly get into them at all! I'm glad we don't wear corsets or petticoats in my time!" 

"Well, the part of time travel is to conform temporarily to the culture," he gave her is big grin. "I think you've done a grand job!" 

"Well, thanks, Doctor." 

"Sienna!" all three barked at once. 

"All right, all right!" she walked into view. " I look like a medieval harem or something! I'm so glad I was born after all this!" 

Sienna had pulled back her short hair, letting a few curled strands frame her face. She wore a dark green skirt with a matching bodice. The top was cut like Sarah's, but hers had frilly lace sewn around the edges. Her sleeves were like Sarah's, skin tight from the shoulders to the elbows, and the lace sewn around the end of the fabric. Both girls had to put on all the undergarments of the time, which they had done with much complaining. Sienna pranced over to them in the laced up high heeled shoes, producing a clacking sound on the linoleum floor around the console.

"Adjustible bustles and hoopskirts!" Sarah kvetched. "Why can't we be like you, Doctors, and not wear anything conforming?" 

"Because you girls have more...scandalous fashions that wouldn't bode well here," the younger Doctor put his brown overcoat on. "It's October 11, 1692. You'd both be arrested and persecuted as witches if you wore say, your jeans and t-shirts." 

"What about your canvas sneakers, hmm?" Sienna mocked them. "What about your hat?" 

"Enough of that," the older Doctor said sternly. "Our clothes will blend us in to a certain degree. Times here are much harder for women, due to the overwhelming amount of misogyny from the male population." 

"So you best not cause a stir," they warned. "You two are noted for your feminism, but if you try such a thing here, you'll be out in the gallows before you know it." 

"OK! OK!" Sienna put up her hands as the older Doctor handed her an aged amber colored shawl. "Point taken, we'll be good little robots!" 

"Not robots, but-oh, you know what I mean!" they exited the TARDIS, which had landed on the outskirts of the town. 

"Well then, these clothes we have on will really necessitate your helping us out, Doctors," Sarah dodged a low flying tree branch. " Especially these shoes!" 

"Now, my friends," the older Doctor looked east at the fast setting sun. "The village should be right there." 

A few moments later, the foursome emerged at the back of a crowd. In the front, a man with a black hood was standing on a platform, another man was facing the crowd, reading from a roll of parchment paper. The overall atmosphere was quiet and tense as a lady was led up to the platform, with her hands tied behind her back. The man in the black hood looped rope through an iron ring, and tied a noose through the other end. 

"They're going to hang her!" Sarah clutched at her Doctor's arm. 

"Shh! Let's not attract attention, eh?" he whispered to her. 

The lady, a raven haired girl in a black shapeless shroud, stood bravely while listening to the magistrate read out the charges. A few tears squeezed out of her eyes, but she held her head up high and searched with her eyes to find sympathetic faces among the crowd. Settling on Sarah's, she held her gaze until the magistrate stepped aside, the noose was put on her, and the man with the black hood pulled the lever. The gallows platform the lady was standing on disengaged, causing the lady to fall through. The noose tightened up, her eyes went blank, and she broke her neck, swinging lifeless.

"The witch has been returned to hell!" the magistrate declared. "Let an example be made of her to any other woman that would dare partake in such acts!" 

The body was cut down and thrown into an open pit. Two men began to hastily bury it with their shovels, working fast. Sienna and Sarah watched questioningly, wondering at the crude way. The crowd had begun to disperse, many men guiding their families towards their homes. The executioner and the magistrate watched as the task was completed, the two men put the shovels away and went home themselves. 

"Why would they do that?" Sarah asked in her whispery tone. "Why just throw the body away like that?" they began a slow walk to the main street of the village.

"Because," her Doctor answered in the same tone. "I take it she was one of the worst offenders. Probably a churchgoer that had been excommunicated from her church. Fear not Sarah, perhaps some of her kin will dig her up and bury her properly on their property." 

"It's monstrous!" 

"It's their way of life. Come on." he looked up as they were about to pass by an inn. 

"Ah, good evening!" the younger Doctor chirped. "Could you be sparing two rooms for us?" 

The innkeeper, a surly looking man with a head nearly devoid of hair, looked down on them. "Wot's that, then, lads?" 

The girls inwardly hoped there wouldn't be any space available. The innkeeper frowned upon them, a big handlebar mustache nearly enveloped his entire upper lip. He wore brown breeches and black shoes, his white shirt was stained with various substances. He was not fat, but a small roll of it wound around his midsection, his arms were greasy and tattooed. 

"Two rooms!" Sienna's Doctor, her hand in his, repeated in a louder voice. 

"Nay, sorry," the innkeeper snorted and spat out a stream of brown tobacco juice, landing near Sarah's feet. "Ain't got no room left, 'specially for them." 

Them meaning the girls. Sarah and Sienna glanced at each other, plainly thinking the same thing: Good God, what a pig! 

"Ah, well then," the younger Doctor grinned pleasantly, but his attempt at jocularity fizzled out. "Can you tell us of another inn or boarding house we might find in this village?" 

"Could try Betty Goode's house, just up the road there," a grubby finger vaguely indicated which direction. "'Course I can't guarantee she'll take yas all in." 

"We can but try," the older Doctor began to steer the girls down the pathway. "Good night." 

All they got in reply was the door banging shut. The foursome walked on, unruffled by the encounter. Arm in arm with their Doctors, Sarah and Sienna looked at the church, other houses, and the like. Cobblestones marked the main road, causing the girls' narrow heels to keep slipping in the cracks between them. The Doctors helped them keep their balance as the sun finally set, and the sky was cloaked in black. The lights from the nearby saloon and other shops illuminated the pathway enough for them to see. Dogs and cats barked, the wind whistled, the air smelled of fresh pine and cedar from the nearby woods.

"Ah, this must be it!" the Doctors spied a small two story house, neat and tidy in appearance with flowering hedges by the little gate. Hanging on the whitewashed fence was a sign in old English script GOODE'S BOARDING HOUSE. 

Escorting their companions up the pathway, the older Doctor rapped on the door. 

"That man wasn't very pleasant back there, was he?" Sarah whispered to Sienna.

"Misogynist pig if I ever saw one." she answered. 

"Shh!" her Doctor scolded her. 

The door opened, light from the fireplace and an oil lamp nearby revealed a tall, stern looking lady, graying hair wound into a knot at the back of her head, gray dress with white flowered pattern, lace around the arm and neckholes. She held a broom in one hand, the other holding onto the doorknob. 

"How do you do, good lady," the older Doctor raised his hat with a flourish. "We are tired travelers who are wishing to rent out a few bedrooms for a few nights." both Doctors turned on their dazzling smiles. 

The lady looked over both of them, then her eyes fell on Sarah and Sienna at the rear. 

"I've only got the one room," her deep throaty voice sounded. "I'm afeared you might not be wantin' it." 

"No, we shall take it," the younger Doctor handed her a few gold coins. "Please, show us." 

"All right," she stood aside. " Please come on in." 

****

The house was built like a lodge, large front room, a big stone chimney. The proprietor moved around, ushering two young boys off to bed, making sure everything was satisfactory as she put her broom away. A young lady and a young man sat down together on the low bench near the fireplace, both had a book in their hands. 

"This is very nice," the older Doctor remarked. "Surely you must entertain lots of travelers here." 

"A lot of people come in for the great views of the harbor in the winter and summertime," the owner rejoined them, leading them up a small set of stairs. "I get most of me business then. Other than that, it's slow." 

"Wow!" Sienna exclaimed before she could stop herself. The room was nicely furnished, two small beds, a low bench like the one downstairs, and a mural hung on one side of the walls. A rug woven from excess scraps of fabric lay in the center of the floor, two small nightstands with oil lamps stood ready for use, and a stone chimney like the one downstairs was at one end of the room. At the other, a set of four glass paned windows with white gauzy curtains hung. 

"I take it yer young lady likes it." the owner nodded to Sienna, who went and sat on the bench. 

"She speaks for all of us," the younger Doctor declared. "We shall be quite comfortable, my good lady." he added his charming smile. 

"What is your name?" the older Doctor hung up his hat on the hat stand near the door. 

"Are you daft, man? It's right on the sign out there! I'm Betty Goode, owner of this business." she seemed to stand taller, more proud with every word she uttered. The Doctors and their companions did not mistake it at all, they knew she was obviously proud of her home. 

"Well, I think it is a very fine house you have, Mrs. Goode," Sarah sat on the edge of the bed and gave her a warm smile. "I can plainly see why you attract so much business here. It's nice and warm, relaxed sense around the place, you have quite the art in keeping these rooms ready for travelers like us." 

The stout lady nearly smiled at Sarah, but masked her pleasure by fetching a few more blankets from the cupboards outside the room. Handing them to Sarah, she said, "In case it gets chilly later on tonight." 

"Thank you, we'll use them." Sarah's smile grew wider. 

Mrs. Goode stood at the entranceway, facing everyone. "Please don't hesitate to call on me later if ya need anything at all. I serve breakfast on the morrow at eight AM sharp. Good night to all of ya." 

They responded with the same, then Mrs. Goode departed. Closing the door, the Doctors sat down on the beds with their friends. Sienna went to the window and drew back the white curtains, seeing the full moon. 

"Wow." she put a hand to her face, using her elbow on the windowframe, gazing out. 

"Sienna, aren't you coming to bed?" her revelry was broken by Sarah, who was standing and fumbling with her dress. Sienna went over to her, helping her unbutton and untie her corset. Sarah did the same for her, both girls had shed the outer layers very quickly. Finding clean white nightgowns in one nightstand drawer, the Doctors gave them to their companions, helping them by not looking while they were changing. 

Taking their hair down, they put the barrettes on the nightstands. Sarah fluffed out her hair, looking more relaxed by the moment. Sienna got into one bed, which the older Doctor was dozing on. She smacked his side playfully and he raised his arm long enough for her to retrieve the covers he'd scrunched up. Snuggling up, she winked at Sarah, who was doing the same with the younger Doctor. 

"What do we do tomorrow, eh?" Sarah asked, cozy with him. His brown eyes looked at her, then he wrapped an arm around her waist, in a hug to him. 

"Look at local culture, stuff like that," he drawled. "Just try out life here for a bit, then we move on like usual." 

"Sounds like a plan." she closed her eyes. 

Sienna drew the covers up a little more, then watched as the older Doctor proceeded to snore. Rolling her eyes, she considered pinching his nose shut until he snorted and woke up, but his respitory bypass system would kick in and he'd snore louder than ever. She snuggled up closer to him, using his left side as a pillow for her, ear right over his heart. His arm snaked up, right around her shoulders, where it stayed throughout the night.

At dawn, the sun rose, the yellow light chasing the dark sky away. Birds began to sing their morning songs, the water lapped happily in the harbor. Already shouts and the sounds of a village awakening began to filter in through the ajar window. The fire had burned nearly all the way out in the fireplace, it struggled to make a last attempt on the pine log. A long tendril of thin flame wrapped around the log and smouldered on a pitch spot, producing a loud snapping sound. 

The younger Doctor's eyes snapped open, glancing at the window. The Time Lord could tell the time of day by which way the sun was shining, so he knew it was around 7 AM. He easily rousted out his friends and helped them dress for the day. Sienna grunted and groaned, not liking the early mornings at all, but she knew she had to get up. Sarah helped her with the corset, tugging it until it flattened her figure, then she put on the polonaise. The polonaise was like an undershirt, made out of thin white cotton. The girls had to put on petticoats, adjustable wire bustles, and the hoopskirts they hated. Dresses from yesterday went on, each girl found the routine a little less cumbersome since the first time they had to put them on. 

Putting their hair up again, the Doctors helped them with the heeled shoes and buttoned up their dresses all the way up the back. 

"How do we look?" the nightshirts were folded and put away neatly, they made their own beds. Sienna had braided the two sides of Sarah's head, gathering it together at the back and securing it. 

"Wonderful," they took them downstairs, where the smells were making them nearly salivate. "Good morning, Mrs. Goode!" 

The owner, resplendent in a blue dress with red flowers, came in, bearing a large platter. "Good morning, did you all sleep well?"

"Quite well, thank you," the older Doctor offered her his smile. "Smells good!" 

After breakfast, the Doctors ambled around, talking to the other male guests. Sienna found a book and sat down, reading it, as Sarah made eye contact with the young lady she had seen last night. 

The young lady, her hair in a long blonde braid, had dark blue eyes and wore a melancholy look. Sarah sat down beside her, offering her a friendly smile and saying hello. 

"Oh, um, hello." clad in a white dress with multicolor flowers, she wrung her hands nervously, darting side glances at Sarah.

"Why the long face? What's your name?"

"Um, Eva." 

"Why so down, Eva?"

"I'm worried about one of my friends. She is accused of witchcraft and is going on trial today. Her name is Amanda Winters and I know she is innocent!" 

"Shhhh," Sarah quieted her. "When is the trial?" 

" Ten AM today. I am going, of course, but it's not just her I am worried about." 

"Who else?" Sarah's journalist experiences stood her in good stead when it came to questioning. 

Eva sighed. "It is of no use," she proclaimed. "They will find her guilty and her child shall die with her." 

"You mean she's-" 

"With child, yes," Eva nodded. "But this new magistrate is quite ruthless. She has had a scandalous past with men and resulted in her being with child. That alone was enough excuse for men to denounce her as a witch." 

"That's cruel!" 

"And unjust. It's nearly ten now, so I must get off to the courthouse." 

"I will come with you. My friend, Sienna, will help us." Sarah hailed her friend. With a quick word to the Doctors about where they were going, Sarah explained to Sienna where they were going and why.

****

"Well, some knocked up lady, innocent, is going on trial," Sienna stated. "We shall see what transpires here." 

The three walked up to the courthouse, chose seats, and listened to the cross examination beginning.

The accused stood in the middle of the room, a largely obvious lump in the middle of her dress testifying silently how close she was to having her child. Sarah and Sienna could both reminisce about how big they'd once been, with the Krillitane spawn. The lady had red curly hair, blue eyes, wearing a black dress with lace frills at the neckline. Her wrists were in shackles, she occasionally shot a furtive glance to where Eva and her two new friends were sitting. 

"Miss Amanda Winters!" the magistrate, a portly fellow with black hair tied into a queue sounded. The judge, in barista wig and black robes, presided over the scene. The magistrate looked around, then adjusting his neckerchief, stepped forward. 

"I need not parchment paper to recite the charges against you!" he sneered, pointing at her belly. "You carry the spawn of Satan! Miss Winters goes off with a man who is already married, and now she's giving birth to a bastard child! Only an evil seductress could woo this young man away from his wife and go off into the woods with him! You wanted his seed, to defame his good name!" 

"God, this is no interrogation, it's making up these ridiculous accusations!" Sarah wrote on a piece of paper and handed it to Sienna. 

"This whole village is blind to the evils of young men luring women away, which is truly sad." Sienna wrote back. 

The trial went on for twenty minutes, where Amanda stood motionless, expressionless. When sentence was pronounced on her, she collapsed into a chair, sobbing wildly. Two officers took her to a cell, where she lay on her cot and wept bitterly for her fate. 

Outside, the three girls stood against the courthouse, watching people exit. Eva crouched down, leaning against a tree, and began to cry for her friend. Sarah sat down next to her, trying to console her, but Sienna was deep in thought. 

"Eva," she said in a low voice. "Do you know where her cell is?"

" Yes, but it won't do any good!" she sniffed. 

"Oh, but I have a plan," Sienna crouched down. "It'll save her and her baby. Sarah and I will go and secretly free her. Can you two run off someplace far away where you won't be accused of this witch shi-er, stuff?"

Eva nodded, wiping her tears away. "Up in northern Maine, we can conceal ourselves." 

"Go pack your stuff, and hers too." Eva leaped up and walked off, not to arouse suspicion. 

"How can we do all this?" Sarah hissed. "I hope you've got a doozy of a plan!" 

"Trust me, Sarah," Sienna grinned. "We or I might be accused of witchcraft myself, but I'm far more craftier and able to get away then Amanda or any other lady who's had her self esteem beaten down by a misogynist pig. You stay here and just keep an eye out for trouble. Act natural, OK?"

"Uh, OK. What do I tell the Doctors, though?" 

"Say I went off for a walk and don't want to be disturbed." she scrambled off before Sarah could utter another word. 

Surveying the jail end of the courthouse, Sienna looked around for anyone. Seeing nobody, she came into the lean to leading to the inner door of the cell block. Sienna pulled a bobby pin out of her hair, then picked the lock successfully. Opening the door quietly, she looked around repeatedly for any interference, but seeing none, she went to Amanda's cell and began to pick the lock. It was a little harder on the barred cell door, but she managed to spring the lock open easily enough. Gently opening the door, she went over to Amanda and shook her shoulder.

"Amanda!" the tearstained face turned to meet hers. 

"Shhh! Be very quiet and come with me!" she did as told and went where Sienna was leading her. Deep into the woods, Sarah, Eva, Sienna, and Amanda gathered in a small clearing. The woods were quiet, save for the occasional bird whistle and gentle breeze rustling the trees. 

"Well, what do we do?" Eva whispered after embracing her friend. 

"There's an abandoned little hut not far from here," Amanda remembered. "We can hide in that until dusk, then I know of a coachman who will take us far away from here. He will be good and quiet about it, he once told me he hates the witchcraft trials and such." 

"Is he the father of your wee one?" Sienna asked. 

Amanda grinned. "Yes he is. The young man spoken of by the magistrate is his younger brother and he made the whole thing up. He has a real antipathy to women in general and I know he will accuse one or both of you." 

"Well, let him accuse us," Sarah thumped her fist into her palm. "Come, let's get into the hut." 

A few hours later, installed in the hut, Amanda was lying on a cot. Sienna looked at her with an expression of concern. Sarah followed her friend's glance and asked after Amanda. 

"I'm fine, just that he won't stop moving around." 

"No, that's not just it," Sarah put her hand on Amanda's brow. "You're all sweaty." 

"Nope, I should take a look. Spread your legs and prop up." Sienna directed, brooking no argument. She kilted up her skirts, sitting down on the edge of the cot as Sarah helped Amanda. Moving aside Amanda's long black skirt, she wedged her legs apart. 

"You a midwife?" 

"In this case, yes," Sienna replied. A quick look. "No wonder! Your child is coming right now! How long have you felt pain?" 

"I don't know." 

"Eva, if she makes a sound, we'll have to gag her. Take this strip of cloth and put it over her mouth. We can't risk giving ourselves away." she directed. Eva did so, Sienna began to direct Amanda on what to do in a patient voice. 

"Come on now, this will hurt you, but they call it a labor of love!" she coaxed. 

Amanda bore down hard as the child's head began to crown. Sienna dunked a rag in water, then cleaned around the child's head, trying to support it and prevent tearing at the same time. 

"Come on, let's get a few more good pushes in there!" 

A few moments later, the child was in Sienna's arms. She gave the child a bath, wrapped it up warmly, then handed it over to Amanda. 

"You have a lovely little lady there." Amanda grinned, cuddling the baby girl until she fell asleep. 

Two hours later, the coachman arrived. The horse whinnied as the owner jumped down and went over to the cottage. Sarah opened up the door, followed by Eva, who greeted the man in a joyous tone. 

"It is you, Samuel!" she exclaimed. " We have a surprise for you!" 

Samuel entered the hut, seeing Amanda and the new arrival asleep quietly. He bent over her, looking at the child with wonder in his eyes. The child stared at him with dark blue eyes, wondering at who the stranger was. He tenatively put out a hand and the infant grasped on to his index finger. 

"Wow, they're bonding already." Sarah and Sienna stood by as Eva loaded up their things into the carriage. Samuel gently took the child away from Amanda, still staring, already under the child's spell. Sarah prodded Amanda awake, who immediately embraced Samuel and the child together. 

"Awww," Sienna walked with them out to the carriage. "What's the name of the little one?" 

Amanda and Samuel both swung up to ride in the front. Samuel took up the reins, glanced at Amanda, then said, "What are your names, fair ones?"

"I'm Sarah, this is Sienna." 

"You were the two who put this plan into effect?"

"Yes." 

"Then we will call her Sarah Sienna Jacobsen," Amanda grinned proudly. " My soon to be married name." 

"Wonderful. Good luck!" they waved as Eva climbed into the carriage as well, and Samuel drove away.

****

On the walk back, Sarah and Sienna gossiped to themselves, admiring the foliage as they walked. Land critters scurried and scampered away from them as the birds cawed and cried overhead. When they reached the outskirts of town, the Doctors were there, looking for them. When they saw them, they hustled over quietly. 

"Where have you two been?" Sienna's Doctor demanded. 

"Out on a walk," she answered. "Beautiful scenes." 

"I see," Sarah's Doctor gave her a sharp look. "Well come on then, it's the official butchering time and there's much to be done. I told Mrs. Goode that you two would help her out." 

"Isn't that done already?" 

"It can be done at any time during the year, really. We are going out to help the men building rowboats and both of you will be helping Mrs. G." 

"All right, all right!" the girls joined Mrs. Goode as they pinned on big aprons that covered their dresses. The Doctors and the men, done with the hog killings, went down to the dockyards where piles of split logs waited to be hewed into clapboards for the boats. 

" Well then, what do we do first?" Sarah asked Mrs. Goode. 

The stout lady turned to her. "Take them bits of sausagemeat with the lean in them and grind them up in this here mill. The bits are in this bowl." she handed it to them as she turned back to the big black kettle, stirring a thick opaque mass. 

"Lard, eh?" Sienna wrinkled her nose. The mill was clamped to the side table, but the clamps were loosened over time. The girls took turns, one stuffed in the bits while the other alternately ground and held the mill down to prevent it falling off. Grunting and thinking up swears to herself, Sienna wrenched the handle, nearly making it pop out of it's socket. She gladly switched with Sarah, who pared off the sausage in three inch lengths and lined them on a plate. 

Once that chore was done, Mrs. Goode put all the links into a jar, screwed on the top, then brought out a big jar and a little one. 

"Huh," Sarah sniffed the little one, filled with a green juice. "It's pickle brine." 

Mrs. Goode filled the big jar with the brine, adding in about a dozen hard boiled eggs and pigs' feet. Closing it up tightly, she set it away in a dark corner of the pantry, to ferment for a few months. The girls watched as Mrs. Goode filled the stone jars with lard, set away numerous items, then turned to the girls.

"The men'll be coming in soon to want their supper." Sienna was set to peeling potatoes, Sarah watched the livers from the pigs and onions thrown in, putting on the lid and making sure it would simmer evenly. Mrs. Goode set out several frosty cold pitchers, set the table, then put the potatoes on the stovetop with water to boil. 

Hot and sweaty, Sienna chose a lull in the activity to douse the back of her head in cold water from the basin. The cool water ran down her neck and into the back of her dress, feeling like an icicle running down her overheated flesh. She returned to the kitchen to see Mrs. Goode and Sarah putting out various platters on the table, often crowding them in to make some room. 

Sarah and Mrs. Goode flew about as the men came in, refilling empty cups and talking up the men at the same time. Sienna was kept busy, fetching things from the pantry and observing the men from a distance. Many were jolly, some were withdrawn, the general aura around the dinner table was merriment and laughter as they related various stories to each other. The Doctors fit right in there, chatting up the others with ease. They often looked to Sarah and Sienna, giving them a wink now and then. None of the other men did this, but the girls knew it was the Doctors' way of saying thanks. The other men took the women for granted, never being courteous, but the Doctors were not like that at all.

So the girls did not feel underappreciated at all as the men devoured, the girls and Mrs. Goode cleaned up after them, then the men went back to finish the boats they were making. When all had been washed and it was quiet, three places were set and the girls could finally sit down and relax. 

"For pity's sake, there's almost nothing left for us!" Sienna exclaimed in dismay. Mrs. Goode went into the pantry and brought out a covered plate. She set it down and whisked the cover off with a flourish, revealing a small ham steak. 

"Wonderful!" Sarah relished it, as Sienna also did. The main course done, they started on a pound cake, then they were done. Everything was washed and set away, the last thing Mrs. Goode did was make the soap. 

She burned clean cedar wood, saved the ashes, then put them into a small sack. Mrs. Goode soaked the sack in hot water, using an enameled pot. The ashes had made lye water, which would burn human hands by itself. She stirred the pot, removed the sack when she was satisfied, then added the unrendered fat from a pig she had saved that day. Mrs. Goode kept the fire up underneath the pot until all the lye had burned away and at the bottom of the pot was a big lump. 

"That's your soap, eh?" they watched as Mrs. Goode plucked it out, put it in the soap jar, topping it off nicely. The lye had a reddish tint to the soap, which was pretty to look at. 

"That is correct, ladies," Mrs. Goode set the jar away. "While you were both out gadding around, all the harvest had been picked and stored in the cellar. A very young cow has been killed so I can make cheese." 

"Interesting," Sarah's eyelids drooped. "I'd like to learn more about how you manage so well here." 

Again, the stout lady nearly smiled, but covered it up in her businesslike demeanor. "Where are you from, that you do not know the ways of here? Surely, someplace far off." 

"Yes," Sienna grinned. " Where we come from, the men usually help us do the work and we have different ways of doing things." 

Mrs. Goode did not reply, as the Doctors came trooping in. They bade goodnight to the landlady and trekked upstairs to their room. Sarah shut the door as all changed, taking care of their things properly. 

"So, have a nice dose of local culture?" the younger Doctor drawled, lying back on the bed as Sarah joined him. 

"Exhausting," Sienna joined the older Doctor, collapsing next to him. "But yet gratifying. Seems the men of these days do take women for granted. And yet if there were no women, men would not know how to cook to keep themselves alive." 

It's what you would call a trade off, Sienna," the older Doctor's eyelids closed. "Each one has something to offer and they do it very well." 

"Still, but it should be interchangeable," she argued. "Women can split wood and men can cook." 

"It'll be hundreds of years still before anyone will come to that conclusion. Your nineteen twenties, I believe." 

In no mood for further argument, Sienna nodded off quickly, as did everyone else. The Doctors had split four by eight chunks of log, whittled off the bark, then began to make up the seats for the rowboats. Since there was no measuring tape, they had tried a number of times to get the right fit, but failed repeatedly. When they got it right, finally, they had been sent to help make up rope for the mooring lines. 

That night, they all slept soundly, too exhausted to even dream. 

The next day, the Doctors had gone to help finish the boats and start on some furniture, the girls went to Mrs. Goode and asked if they could help her with anything. 

"Hello, young ladies," Mrs. Goode greeted them. "I'm already startin' on the cheese. Over there." 

A bit of calf stomach, or rennet, was soaking in hot water, much like the ashes the day before. Mrs. Goode wrung all the hot water out of the piece of leather, then added hot milk. 

"We have to let that stand for awhile to thicken," she proclaimed, wiping her hands on her apron. "Know how to milk a cow?" 

"Er, no." 

"Come along then." she led them to a small barn, which housed two horses, three cows, two heifers, and a flock of chickens. A few pigs grunted, pawing around in the stockyard. 

****

"This one's Violet, the other's named Queenie," Mrs. Goode took down the milking pails and two stools. "Just massage the teats like so," she demonstrated and a frothy jet squirted into the pail. "And there you have it." 

Sarah tried it, surprised when she got it right on the first try. Sienna didn't get anything, but Mrs. Goode showed her a way to massage the udder to get all the drops. She filled up a pan for the barn cats, who were pacing around impatiently for their breakfast. Sienna giggled and directed a jet at one of the cats, who yowled and ran away. 

It took awhile to get all the last bits, but when they were done, they trudged into the kitchen, Mrs. Goode setting the milk pans away to get the cream to rise to the top. The mixture she had made earlier had thickened into an almost gelatinous mass. 

"Since this is a big batch, we all can work together," Mrs. Goode gave them each a big bowl full of the same mass, apron, and a sharp knife. "Cut this into little squares." they did so, making sure all were evenly cut. Standing around, they waited until all the whey was separated out of the mass, which had become curd now. The three began to salt and mix it up, taking care to make sure every bit was included. Sarah scraped along the sides of the bowl to make sure she had gotten everything, then she noticed Mrs. Goode watching her with a friendly eye. 

"On down to the basement." they took their bowls and entered carefully through the trapdoor. Mrs. Goode marched to the other end of the dank basment, to an elevated platform. She had three circular molds, made of flexible balsa wood, hollow through the centers. She spread a wet red and blue checked scrap of cloth into the mold, making sure it fit in snugly. Mrs. Goode then filled up the mold with the curd, drawing the cloth so it closed the top. Sienna and Sarah echoed her, then lifting up a big stone that was put on top of the cheese mold to press out the whey. The elevated platform had two small slats in it, forming a little hollow for the whey to run down and drip into the pail at the smaller end. 

"Wow," Sarah cleaned up, along with Sienna. "I gain more respect than ever for the women here, performing such tasks." 

"I do too." a commotion sounded at the door, then the magistrate burst in, startling them.

"I arrest you in the name of the law!" he shouted. 

"Who?" Sienna demanded. 

"Both of you!" he proclaimed. "Not here even three days and already someone in this town has accused you of witchcraft!" 

"Gee, could that person possibly be you, by any chance?" Sienna shouted back at him.

He recoiled from her like she'd shocked him. "Witch! I do not have to listen to this accursed spellcasting by you!" 

"Oh, for pity's sake!" Sienna growled low, giving him a little fright. "All right, I am a witch! But not her!" she pointed at Sarah. "She has nothing to do with it!" 

"Noble gesture, witch," the magistrate sneered. "We will arrest you instead." 

"No, you won't." 

"What?!"

Sienna unleashed a powerful glare upon the magistrate, one that could make men wither under it. "You will not arrest me!" 

"We shall!" 

"Do you want to die?" she barked. "Make me angry and I shall see that tonight, you will die in your bed!" 

He gulped visibly, shaken by the sudden admittance and threats. Sienna narrowed her eyes at him, challenging him to challenge her. 

"It's a little late for your spells and voodoo," he tried to cover up his uncertainty. "Nothing can shake the power of the law!" 

"You're wrong, fool!" she cackled, in her best Wicked Witch of the West imitation. She could see she'd have to demonstrate some of her "powers" to this pompous magistrate. "I can make men faint just by a kiss!" she had put on her knockout lipstick, now she went over to one of the men, kissed him, and he promptly fainted. 

"Witchcraft!" 

"Take care that I do not kiss you!" she threatened, stepping forward. The Doctors came in then, hearing the commotion. Sienna immediately pickpocketed her Doctor's sonic screwdriver, pressed the button, and a cork on a bottle of blackberry wine popped out suddenly. 

"Goodbye Mrs. Goode, thanks for everything!" the Doctors put a few shillings on the table for her, wrenched their companions' arms, then dashed away in the direction of the TARDIS. 

"What were you thinking?" the older Doctor hissed, grasping Sarah's arm as they ran. 

"You're hurting me, Doctor!" she complained. "It was nothing! We were just minding our own business when that lunatic came in and started accusing us with no proof!" 

"They don't need proof! One person's accusation is enough to be a death sentence." 

"So the mini vacation ends here, eh? A witch accusation ends it all!" Sienna huffed as they came upon the TARDIS. Inside, she stripped down to her underclothes and stood in the TARDIS doorway, a magnum in her hand. 

"What are you doing?" Sarah hissed to her. 

"Revenge," the mob of men, the magistrate in the lead, came near the TARDIS. "You, pigheaded magistrate, this is from me to you!" she fired a shot into his arm, causing him to howl in agony. 

"You want an example of my powers? This is my vessel and this is how I will disappear from here forever!" the TARDIS dematerialized as Sienna shut the door, leaving the townsfolk astounded. 

"Always got to make a scene, Sienna?" her Doctor took back his sonic screwdriver as she went to her room, shedding bits of the costume on the way. Coming back in her traditional track pants and t-shirt with sneakers, she replied, "Lasting impression. Where's your showmanship?" 

"Moot point." he grunted. 

"You know, that little town has no more witch accusations after this," the older Doctor said thoughtfully. "Apparently it was a lasting impression, Sienna." 

Sarah laughed and gazed at her friend. "It was a nice visit while it lasted, we rescued a condemned "witch" and sent her off with her lover and new child, and we learned a great deal about life in those times. It wasn't all a failure, Doctors."   
END


	31. Splitting Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Featuring a little cameo appearance by Jack Harkness and Rose!

Splitting Up

Angst/Drama/

4/10/Sarah/Sienna/Rose/Jack

"Doctor," Sarah walked into the console room, wearing her pink frilly shirt and skirt, knee high black boots, and pink studs in her ears. "I want to talk to you for a moment."

Wearing his gray peacoat and matching pants, he looked up, blue eyes wide underneath the mop of curly brown hair. "What is it, Sarah?"

"I'm homesick," she eyed him. "Can we-"

"Yes,"he interrupted, flicking his scarf back away from his face. "I had already preset the coordinates and made sure that they were right this time."

"Wow, one step ahead of me."

"The TARDIS informed me of how you were feeling blue in terms of homesickness," he sat on the floor beside her, the TARDIS chugging along steadily. "Even I get homesick...every few centuries or so."

"I guess so,"she leaned her head back and watched the time rotor column chug up and down in accordance with the sounds. "I don't know, Doctor, I might want to stay home this time."

"Really?"

"I might. I mean, I enjoy all of this, but there comes a time and place when it does have to end."

"You're right on that mark,"he remarked. "We should be there in a few minutes or so."

"1984 earth, right? South Croydon?"

"Yes, Sarah,"he grinned. "I think we are there now."

The TARDIS thumped down, shuddering into place as they stood up and flicked on the viewscreen. UNIT headquarters was staring at them, already a uniformed officer was walking towards the TARDIS. 

"Sienna!" Sarah called. "We're in 1984 UNIT headquarters! Time to come and see Harry!"

Sienna appeared, clad in her blue jeans, blue sleeveless top, and her white sneakers. She had knotted a dark green shammy shirt by the arms around her waist, and looked around curiously. Her Doctor followed her, looking glum in his dark green suit. 

Sarah noticed that, taking Sienna aside, she asked her what was going on between them. 

Sienna's face darkened up. "Oh, he's mooning over a past female companion, Sarah. I swear to his Rassilon that I'm never going to measure up as he's just fawning all over her!" they shut the TARDIS doors and walked behind their Doctors. 

"Pleasant day," Sarah's Doctor looked skywards. "Brilliant blue sky, seventy degrees out here, not a cloud anywhere."

"Yeah,"Sienna looked around. "Least my allergies won't bother me out here."

"I made sure that they wouldn't," he gave her his megawatt smile, making her feel better. "Just for you."

"Thanks."

"Doctor!" a young man cloaked in black trailed behind the UNIT officer. The younger Doctor's face paled, watching the young man come up to him and ecstatically pump his hand in greeting. "You've changed since we last met."

"Who is this?" Sienna's tone was sharp. 

"Uh, this is Captain Jack Harkness,"the man turned to her with a grin. "A former Time Agent."

Jack shook Sienna's hand, enthusiastically greeting her. "Took me a long time to get back since you left me on the Game Station, Doctor."

"What?"

"Sienna, please!" her Doctor snapped, a tone of voice he had never used with her before. She drew back in shock, then drawing the older Doctor and Sarah, they walked into UNIT headquarters, greeting the Brigadier. 

"It's been years since we saw you last, Doctor," Harry walked in behind them. "You remember Harry Sullivan?"

"Of course!" the Doctor pumped hands with Harry and the Brigadier. "Where is Mr. Benton?"

"He retired about a year ago and is now a used car salesman." Sienna hugged Harry and she brushed her lips over his for a kiss, but he gently dissuaded her. 

"This is very unusual. Another TARDIS just landed down a few minutes ago and we thought it was you."

"Another TARDIS? Oh, Sienna, your Doctor's TARDIS must have shown up after all this time."

"Oh," her demeanor was noticeably subdued. "Well..."

"A young lady that I mistook for either one of you young ladies walked out along with that young man," the Brigadier continued. "What a very strange day it is turning out to be."

"Oh, no. Was she around nineteen, blonde?"

The Brigadier looked at Sienna, surprised. "I believe so, Ms. Blackman."

"It's Rose!" she groaned. "He will never get over her!"

"It appears that it goes both ways." the Brigadier led the Doctor and Sarah away as Harry took Sienna's arm and guided her into an empty room. She sat down on the small couch as he shut the door and drew the shades closed. 

Sitting down, he joined his hands with hers and looked into her eyes. Harry thought carefully, shaping the right words before saying what he had to tell her, but Sienna, blunt as ever, beat him to it. 

"You're with a lady, aren't you?"

Stunned, Harry opened up his mouth, but he was cut off again. "Why else would you refuse a smooch? For pity's sake, it feels like everyone around here is abandoning me! My Doctor's got his old friends back and really! I was trying to help him get over that little blonde wench when they turn up and throw my efforts into my face!"

"Wow," Harry studied her, seeing the strain of the past couple days etched on her face. "Anything else you want to get off your chest?"

"It really feels like my relationship with my Doctor is going down the shitter, Harry! Seems like I was the only one who felt like the friendship was working. I'm sure he'll revert back to her and forget all about me! I'm always gettin' short changed, here!"

Her voice broke, she put her head down and sighed. Harry tugged at her shoulder and she lay down on the couch, he pulled her head in his lap. Sienna closed her eyes as Harry began to stroke her hair and speak soothingly to her as her eyes closed. 

"Everything will work out in time, Sienna," he admired her red hair, noticing that she had dyed it since he had seen her. "As for me, since you are not from my time, I thought it better to get involved with someone who is. I am engaged, but that doesn't mean that you don't have a special place in my heart."

She snorted. "Yeah, that's like saying I'm only second best. I bet that's all I will be."

"Do you have depression?"

"Chronic, yes."

"You might want to see your counselor about it then."

"I'll take it under advisement." he knew she would put it off, but Harry did not cease in his comforting. Her left earring, a silver colored G clef embedded with tiny rhinestones glittered in the light. 

"You like music?"

"It sings to me, Harry. I play piano and I sing my heart out."

"Perhaps you'll sing for me later. I know you're tired, go to sleep."

"Will you still be here?"

"Yes. It's my day off and I wanted to read over some of the medical books. They're all right here."

"Okay.."

****

Jack and the Doctor walked the UNIT grounds, talking over all that had happened. 

"So how's Martha?"

"Martha?"

"You don't remember her?" Jack paused in his walk. A summer breeze ruffled their clothes and a few leaves blew through the air aimlessly. 

"Oh!" the Doctor exclaimed. "The TARDIS knew how....damaged my mind was after all that, so she took away my memories of what happened last year. I've been with Sienna for six months now."

"With?" Jack's eyes gleamed. 

"Yea-not what you think!" he said sharply. "Strictly platonic, Jack!"

"Wait until I tell Rose!" he sniggered.

The Doctor's hearts seemed to skip a beat. "She-she's here?"

"Yeah! I stumbled upon her in the TARDIS in the vortex. How did the TARDIS come to be drifting aimlessly in the vortex without you?"

"We-Sienna and I-stumbled upon a planet that looked like Skaro. The Daleks imprisoned us, then since they already mastered time travel, they put a randomizer in the TARDIS and it went off without us in it. How did you and Rose get into it?"

"Rose said that the TARDIS landed in the dimension that she lives in, she went in, and it took off again. I was closing off the breach between dimensions for Torchwood, saw it taking off and used my vortex manipulator watch to catch up. We pried off the randomizer and the coordinates for here popped up and here we are."

"The old girl remembers....she remembers being his TARDIS and all this happening," the Doctor mused. "Smart girl."

"Speaking of which, who is Sienna exactly?"

"I picked her up in 2007 when I was in my eighth form," he told the stories of the adventures that they had and informed Jack how Sienna came to be with his tenth self. "We've had many adventures together, even more so with Four and Sarah."

"What sort of girl is she?"

"It's hard to describe her, Jack. She's got a big heart, tough on the outside, she knows guns, self defense, and is close with Sarah. It seems she is more closer to my fourth self then me in this life."

"Perhaps you've been pushing her away subconsciously,"Jack stated, unabashed when the Doctor shot him a withering look. "Think about it, that's all. Now, tell me more about your adventures."

The Doctor's eyes lighted up. "You'd have liked this, Jack. Sienna once got me to take her to Venice as a birthday present in the 15th century."

"Why would I like that?"

"Because she went out and...banged Casanova."

Jack grinned. "That's my kind of woman!"

"Hey!" the Doctor blushed, another memory coming up that he wouldn't give voice to. "There was the time when we were taken captive by the Zygons and I was the subject of a dreambending experiment...." he droned on, telling the story.

The Doctor and Sarah followed the Brigadier around, listening to what had happened since they were last there. Sarah's heart ached, seeing the headlines that had come out since she had been away. The journalist had a strong urge to go home, rest up, then go into work like nothing had happened. Her heart was torn, she didn't want to leave the Doctor, but she wanted her own life back. She was tired of being drugged, wounded, and in general, running after him all the time. They had occasional vacations, but Sarah really missed the simple comforts of home most of all. 

Sarah loved the Doctor and she knew he returned the feeling, but both could plainly see that a relationship other than friendship would possibly jeopardize their future. The Doctor didn't like commitment-it'd been hard for him when he was in exile, to stick with everyday routine-she'd remembered. He much preferred the wandering life he'd adopted. He'd really made a habit of getting his nose into a situation and making it work out in the end, a strong point of his that Sarah would always admire about him. Walking along with him, she spied her little car still sitting in the UNIT garage, gathering dust. Bessie sat right beside the car, the yellow paint dulled a bit by the dust over time, yet still ready for action.

The Doctor followed her glance. "Bessie! Brigadier, you still have my car."

"Ah, yes," the Brigadier pulled up his kid gloves. "I use it, Doctor. She works better when she has been used on a regular basis."

"I'm not surprised," Bessie had been bought during his earth exile. "Do you still have the car title I gave you for safekeeping?"

"Yes."

"I'll sign the car over to you, make it official."

"Ah, thank you, Doctor," the Brigadier led them into his office, where the Doctor signed his dear Bessie over to the Brigadier. "I won't be needing her now that my exile is over, so she's yours."

"Thank you, Doctor," the Brigadier laid away the title. "I will take good care of her and you can use her anytime you come to earth."

"You're welcome, Brigadier," his blue eyes glistened. "I hope she'll behave for you."

"She always has before, Doctor. Where is Ms. Blackman and Lieutenant Sullivan?"

"I don't know," Sarah left the office and went to find them. "Harry? Sienna?"

She found the darkened room and knocked on the door, her Doctor following her. Harry looked up from the book he was reading as they walked in. 

Sienna lay on the couch, her head in his lap, sound asleep. He had put his blazer over her form like a blanket, and she was quite content looking. The Doctor knelt down and brushed her side bangs away from her eyes, checking her over. Harry watched him, wondering at the Doctor's demeanor. 

"She been like this since we arrived?" Sarah broke the silence. 

"Yes," Harry rubbed Sienna's back. "She's not been...feeling well." he made up a little white lie, keeping in mind all Sienna had told him was in confidence. She hadn't told him he couldn't divulge to Sarah and her Doctor, but he chose to keep quiet. 

"Poor girl," the Doctor straightened up. "She never said anything to us."

"Anyway," Sarah continued on. "It's dinnertime and the Brig asked us down there. Shall we wake her up?"

Harry hesitated, undecided. "Uh, sure. If she sleeps for much longer, she will not be able to sleep tonight."

The Doctor woke Sienna up, helping her stand up straight, then led them all down the corridor into the mess hall. Jack and the younger Doctor sat at another table, where a young blonde joined them. Sienna could hear her Doctor's exclamations of joy and sank a bit more into her depression. The Brigadier, sensing her unease and blue mood, sat down across from her, blocking out the Doctor, Jack, and Rose. Sienna gave him a grateful look, he gave her a half smile. 

Small talk ensued, Harry told a little about his fiancee, the Doctor and Sarah narrated more of the exploits the four had been through, and the Brigadier told of his uprising retirement from UNIT. 

"Math teacher, Brigadier?"the Doctor set his mug down. "At a coed all boys school?"

"An all boys school, yes," he corrected patiently. "I find the budget cuts here and the waves of insolent young cadets are straining my last nerve. Good young men are down in quality, it seems, and Harry and I shall both be going."

"Where will you be retiring, Harry?" Sarah inquired. 

"I'm not retiring," he began. "I'm going over to NATO to work."

"North Atlantic Treaty Organization?" the Doctor's eyes sparkled. "Which....force are you going into?"

"Well, after I get married, we're going to one of the bases in Spain for about six months as I get accustomed to it. After that, I'll be coming back here to England."

****

"Interesting," the Doctor murmured. "I trust you'll not have much trouble learning Spanish. Lots of them speak English there too."

Sarah kept an eye on Sienna, who was staring moodily out the window, twirling a strand of her hair in her fingers absently. 

When they were done, Sarah kept trying to draw Sienna into their conversations, but she only replied with one word answers. Giving up, they all talked on without her in the room she had slept in earlier. Sarah glared at Sienna's Doctor, who had taken no notice of any of that. The Rose girl had been chatting the Doctor up, completely ignoring Sienna, which Sarah did not like at all. Finally, when she was about to get up and tell Rose she was being very rude, Rose seemed to take notice of Sienna, wall staring.

"Hi, I'm Rose. You must be Sienna."

Sienna, no expression in her eyes, looked at Rose. "Yes I am. How do you do?"

"Wonderful, now that he's here. Oh, we have something that belongs to you in the TARDIS. Your tin dog."

"K9! I've missed him."

"How did you get him, anyway?"

"The eighth Doctor gave him to me when he had to leave. He knew how much I like dogs and gave me K9 as an early birthday present."

"How old are you?"

"24, soon 25." Sienna's Doctor only had eyes for Rose, he wasn't looking at Sienna at all.

Rose's eyes widened. "So old.."

"Gee, thanks." Sienna muttered, but Rose didn't catch it.

Perhaps sensing the storm brewing, Harry and the Brigadier left the room then. 

"I didn't mean," Rose tried. "You've probably got a more solid grip on homelife experience than intergalactic space."

"Whatever. Didn't the Doctor tell you I've been to hell and back several times?"

"Sort of. But, the Autons and the gas mask zombies were like going through hell. Not to mention the Slitheen, Sycorax, Ood, and the beast down in the pit."

"Sure, whatever. Krillitanes, Racnoss, Sontarans, Goluks, Quagforians, not to mention the unnamed vacation planet we visited was pretty neat."

"Met Daleks and Cybermen?"

"Oh, yeah. Helped to defeat a would be dictator, ghost hunted, all that fun stuff."

"Ever met a werewolf?"

"No."

"Then you haven't lived until you've seen one of them!" Rose gave a little shake of her head in what Sienna took to be a snobbish gesture. Sarah's Doctor looked amused in the one upping each other game.

"You haven't lived until you've seen a lot of things." Sarah thought this was a very diplomatic answer and brought the conversation to a screaming halt. Rose looked flustered for a moment, then started up on her home life.

Yikes, thought Sarah and her Doctor. This isn't going to end well at all.

"My dad was killed when I was a baby, it was just Mom and me until the Doctor came along...." she prattled on. Sienna's blank expression did not fool Sarah and her Doctor. They knew Rose was trying the pity me angle, describing just how hard it was, wanting Sienna to give up so she could have the last word. 

When her tirade ended, Sienna drew herself forward, eyes sparkled with an intense energy. 

"That's nothing!" she scoffed. "I'm surprised the Doctor didn't tell you what has happened to me in my lifetime!"

The Doctor didn't indicate that he had even heard her, completely in his Rose admiration. Fury building up, Rose replied. "Well, what would you know, growing up without your dad, having nothing but your mother to lean on your entire life! Mom really had to struggle to keep me and take low paying jobs!"

"Plenty!" Sienna lashed out. "My real parents are drug and booze abusers! I was adopted about two or three weeks after I was born! The business lady and the mechanic loved me well enough with my foster sister, half brother, and non related brother! After I grew up, my maternal grandma, Allie, whom I loved more than anything in the universe, died right in front of me!"

Rose lapsed into stunned silence while Sienna thundered on. "Have you ever known the grief I have, seeing your grandmother hit by a drunk driver while crossing the street after visiting me?! She was the only link I had between my real parents and my life! Have you ever known what it's like, having your real parents track you down on about three separate occasions, so they could beat the living snot out of you? Granted, I went into depression, got help, got a permit to carry around weapons, and self defense, but it shouldn't have had to come to that! The Doctor saved me, Rose! He didn't just come and pluck me up out of the monotony of existence, but he and his TARDIS saved me, in more ways than one!"

"Saved?"

"Yes!" Sienna tossed up her hands. "If his TARDIS hadn't intervened, I would have been beaten up by the real parents!" her voice came down lower. "And if he hadn't helped me at all, I would be dead. By my own hand or the parents. There's only so much one person could take before their spirit finally breaks down for good, Rose."

Five sets of big eyes were riveted on Sienna now. "I might as well say this: the Doctor, in any of his lives, always made me feel like I was worthy of his attention, the adventures that we had. His eighth and fourth self, mind you. He," she pointed at what she now thought of as Rose's Doctor. "Seemed too dependent on me, putting too much of his traumatic burden on me, expecting me to make it all better for him! I may be a bit selfish sounding, but it wasn't always this way. Up until a few days ago."

Rose looked at her Doctor, brown eyes met brown eyes. Sarah and her Doctor sat motionless, like they were watching a sports game on TV. Neither could say a word, dumbfounded by Sienna and her soliloquy. 

The anger was boiling up in her, she wanted to say something that would really infuriate Rose, wanting to make her as mad as she was. Sienna thought of the perfect thing, then got up, smiling sadistically. 

"By the way, Rose, I thought you might want to know something about him," she said in an even tone of voice. "He's bad in bed."

Jack whooped, slapping his hand to his knee, jumping up to eyeball Sienna closely. Rose turned crimson. "You slept with him?!"

Sarah and her Doctor, identical expressions of shock on their faces, waited for the answer, though they knew what it was. Sienna, already feeling her anger ebbing and sorrow coming back, answered, "Yes, I did."

"Doctor, how could you?!" Rose cried. 

Red faced, he glared at Sienna. "How dare you reveal such....moments of madness like that?!"

"Is that all I was to you, a moment of madness?" Sienna cried out, feigning more anger. "I thought I was more than that to you! I wanted you to be my friend, think of me fondly!Well, Doctor, I'll tell you what I'll do."she seized Jack's arm. 

"What are you going to do?" he spoke sternly.

"It should be obvious to a daft Time Lord like you!" she shot back. "Come on, Jack!"

Jack had a big shit eating grin on his face as they left the room. "Guess someone's gonna get some hot, kinky, revenge sex!"

Sarah and her Doctor managed to close their mouths and leave, giving the two time alone together.

****

"Doctor," Sarah hissed. "All that in there....it just boggles the mind!"

He turned from the bunkroom entrance, unwinding his scarf from his neck. "Did you happen to notice a change in either one of those two recently, Sarah?"

"Well...it's been almost two weeks since Salem. I thought they were just giving each other space. Every friendship has it's rough patches."

"True, but some emotional pain will really put a strain on the friendship. He let the pain for Rose rule over him and Sienna bore the brunt of it this past couple of weeks. I noticed when I went by her room and she was asleep, she would be muttering something and having bad dreams. The strain caused that, Sarah, and it finally came up to the surface. She feels liberated because she spoke what's on her mind and heart, but she also feels sorrow because she knows she can't take it back."

"These things happen," Sarah changed in the bathroom and got into bed. "I trust she'll come for either one of us when she's ready to be comforted."

"Sienna's not the type to ask for it, remember," her Doctor warned. "She'll come asking for it when she's ready at her own pace. Don't try to force it."

"All right, Doctor." they went to bed and fell asleep.

As Sienna and Jack were getting "better acquainted", the Doctor had managed to pacify Rose, telling her the circumstances around the sex with Sienna almost a year ago. Rose had accepted the explanation, knowing some people do crazy things when grieving. 

Harry had peeked in, saying he was surprised that Sienna had vented all her feelings, gotten angry, and UNIT headquarters was still standing. 

Late in the night, Sarah was startled out of her sleep by someone flinging themself on the bed next to her. She immediately thought Sienna; she had often seen her friend shove herself onto the bed like she had been pushed. 

"Sarah?"

"Sienna?"

"Yeah."

"Thank goodness. What happened after you and Jack?"

"I felt good for a little while," Sarah heard her friend snigger. "I saw Rose and her Doctor cuddling up in another bunk room."

"I'm sorry."Sarah squeezed her friend's hand. 

"It's OK. What am I to do now, Sarah? I can't travel with them anymore."

"You can travel with my Doctor."

"That'd be fun with the three of us."

"Two."

"What?"

"I've clocked in my miles, Sienna. Time for me to get back to normal life."

"But, Sarah!"

"It is high time I got back to my own life. Before the..conflict, did your Doctor ever tell you whether or not I'll ever see him again."

Sienna paused, searching her memory. "You will see him again, Sarah. I promise you that."

"I trust you."

"When are you going to tell him?" the Doctor was snoring lightly nearby.

"Tomorrow."

"I'm gonna miss you so much, you know that."

"And I you, my dear friend."

They fell asleep then, comforted by the sound of the Doctor snoring.

The next day, after breakfast, the groups stood outside the TARDISes. The Brigadier and Harry stood with them, accepting goodbyes and good lucks from everyone. 

"I'll see you around, Harry," Sienna grinned. "I'll meet you in the future."

"Oh?"

"You get to operate on me again in the year....2005."

"I'll see you then!" he hugged her and then caught a cab. 

"Harry," Sarah called. "Wait for me."

"Will do, old girl."

Sarah's Doctor looked at her inquiringly as she brought her things out of the TARDIS. 

"I have to move on, Doctor, I've seen so much of the universe and I must get on with my life."

He nodded gravely. "I understand, Sarah."

"I have such wonderful memories!" she exclaimed with forced emotion. "I don't mean you can't ever come and see me, I just don't want to do this full time anymore."

"You have a bright future ahead of you, Sarah," he hugged her. "I will see you again."

"One more thing," she stepped back. "You still let Sienna travel with you? I don't want either of you becoming lonely."

He smiled at Sienna. "Yes, of course."

The girls hugged, said goodbye, then Sarah hustled off with Harry. 

Sienna pulled off her green shammy shirt and put it on, revealing her twin gunbelt holsters at her sides. Rose and Jack looked at the deadly magnums holstered in the leather and looked back at their Doctor. The sky darkened overhead, an ominous roll of thunder sounded in the distance. The older Doctor counted as he saw a flash of lightning and another rumble.

"Five miles away and moving fast," he announced. "We better make cosmic dust, Sienna."

"Sure." Rose's Doctor's brown eyes were glistening. Rose stepped to Sienna.

"I'm sorry," Sienna looked up. "He should not have put that burden on you at all."

"It's not your place to apologize for his actions," her tone was not unkind as she spoke. "I don't want to be mean, Rose, but you have to ask yourself: do I care for the Doctor like a friend, or am I his keeper? We keep them on their toes, rein them in sometime, but if you're shouldering more of the burden, doing most of the work, just ask yourself that question. You might be glad to be his keeper at first, but it gets very weary. It seems he is regressing, and you can only put up with so much."

The Doctor met Sienna's eyes and moved over towards her. He extended his hand with his sonic screwdriver in it. "You should take this to remember me by."

"We had some good times, Doctor, but I can't."

"Come on. Why not?"

"Bad memories, Doctor. I know you genuinely liked me, but I can't replace Rose. It seems like that's what you were trying to do to me. You need to get off this obsession. This is an unhealthy relationship and you both will suffer."

"It's just fine!" he scoffed. "Now she's back, I'll-"

"You'll what?" Sienna's voice went sharp like last night. "Never mind! I hope you two are happy and healthy together. One of these days, you're going to become so obsessed, you'll get yourself killed foolishly. You will not have a moment's peace in your mind because of the way you've treated me."

"Mistress!" K9 came out of the TARDIS door.

"K9! I missed you!" she embraced the metal dog.

"Sienna!" the older Doctor called as the thunder got closer.

"Come on, K9," she opened up the door for him to get through, glancing back at the others. "Good luck."she looked at Jack and Rose only, then disappeared into the TARDIS. 

****

The Doctor, now Sienna's Doctor, hung up his overcoat and fedora, nearly tripping over his scarf. She walked in, K9 parked in the corner. Sienna sank down on the floor behind the Doctor, head hanging to one side, looking vacantly at the floor. He noticed this, setting the TARDIS to drift and sat down next to her. After a moment, saying nothing, he put his arm around her. 

"Big change today, isn't it?"

She breathed a heavy sigh. "Yeah."

"You know it had to be done. You would have blown up at him at a worse time."

"You mean when he holds my life in his hands and I suddenly explode at him?"

"And risk your life, yes."

"Good point," she leaned her head against his heart. "I miss Sarah."

"Me too."

"Are you glad you have me to keep you company? Remember we didn't get along so well when we first met."

"I'm very fine with that, Sienna," he looked into her brown eyes and saw they had unshed tears in them. It unsettled him, he had never seen her cry before. "I'm glad to have you with me. We both don't want to go back to our planets."

"There's nothing for me on my planet," she mournfully said. "Yes, I have depression, Doctor."

"That wasn't on my mind, Sienna."

"Just so you know," she sniffed. "I usually sink into it, but I often come out of it. It comes and goes."

"All right then. You did the right thing, you know that. Now come on, stand up." he helped her up and looked into her face. 

"What?"

"I think we need a diversion!" he went to the console. "You remember our conversation on the Oracle?"

"Yeah."

"I think it's time to pay them a visit for the spiritual dreaming/cleansing ritual. Time to set the coordinates for Polaris."

"Wow, the north star?"

"Fun fact, the north star was named after the Oracle's planet."

"Really?"

"Yes," his grin gleamed. "Get ready!"

At the same time on the other TARDIS, Rose and Jack were conversing while the Doctor's brown eyes stared up into the time rotor columns. Thinking about Sienna, he spent a long time doing just that. A few moments later, he realized that Sienna had been right about it, he'd been too ensnared in his own grief much of the time, turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to the unique character that Sienna was. She'd tried to pull him out of his funk a few times, only to be yelled at or rebutted and chastised for her efforts. 

Now, she was gone, K9 was gone. He turned and went into Sienna's old blue and white room. He'd kept her room as the way it was, since his past self knew she would meet up with him again. Walking over to the old dresser, he found an old color photograph that was in a light blue frame. Tilting it to the light, he saw it was a picture of Sienna and Sarah, with both Doctors in the background, all were grinning crazily. 

Deciding he would put it in his room, he stopped at the entranceway, once more looking at the room. A lone tear dripped down his cheek and splashed on the hardwood floor. 

"I'm sorry, Sienna." he whispered, and left, drawing the door shut. 

As the TARDIS landed, Sienna watched as the doors opened, but nobody had pulled the switch. A man in cricket gear walked in, calling a brisk hello. 

"Who?" Sienna turned pale. 

He turned to her. "I'm the Doctor!"

She turned to her Doctor. "And you're the Doctor too?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Affirmative."K9 confirmed. 

Sienna's pale face turned a deadly white. Before either Doctor could say anything, she collapsed where she stood, fainting dead away.  
END


	32. The Oracle

The Oracle

4/Sienna/K9

Guest appearance of Doctor 5

Angst/Drama

"Mistress!" K9 trundled over to her, extending his probe antenna from his red visor. Her Doctor hastily banished the tin dog from his curiosity, then rolled his companion over until she was lying faceup. Five hovered near, wondering what had happened to her.

"Do you remember?" he asked himself. 

"Yes," he adjusted his Panama hat. "Fresh out of UNIT, both of you going together from now on." 

"Right," he picked Sienna up and the TARDIS materialized a chaise lounge in the far corner of the room. He put Sienna on it, taking off his gray peacoat and covering her with it. He did not like the way she looked, so pale faced and sickly. "She's had quite a stressful past couple of weeks, not sleeping well at all." 

"I remember that as well," Five adjusted the pillow sham, positioning Sienna's head on it carefully. "I suppose you're wondering why I'm here on Polaris." 

"The thought had crossed my mind, yes." he leaned on the console, spying his brown velvet peacoat hanging up on the hat stand. The Doctor walked over and fingered it for a moment, deciding to wear it soon. Five cleared his throat and began to speak.

"My TARDIS is missing a few of her thermal regulators. Without them, I could fly in space, but-"

"You'll either freeze or burn," the Doctor supplied. " K9, go and fetch two thermal regulators." 

"Master." the dog rolled down the hall obediently. 

"So you're going to take the spiritual journey, eh?" 

"Sienna is. I'm just going as her...backup." 

"Nice," Five looked her over. "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear she was sick." 

"She is sick." 

Five looked up at Four, eyeing him. "How, exactly? She's not running a fever or any other physical signs of illness." 

"It's the spiritual kind. I can only guess and say that this separation from Ten has broken her spirit." 

"From him putting all his burden on her?" 

"Along those lines, yes. I can't really explain it, but I know the Oracle can help her." 

"Sooner rather than later," Five saw Sienna's skin turning opaque. "It's affecting her very rapidly." 

"Blast it, where is that metal dog!" Four bellowed. "K9!" 

The dog came in, two thermal regulators dangling from his nose probe. The Doctor snatched them up and handed them to Five, who took them and looked down at Sienna. 

"Take care of her." he left the TARDIS. 

The Doctor looked down at her, then put his ear down to her heart. It was there, skipping rapidly. He exhaled noisily, knowing a fast heartbeat always meant distress in humans. She hadn't been working out, so there was no explanation for it going so fast. 

Prying open one of her eyelids, he noticed the cornea had clouded over and was now a dense orange. Swearing in Gallifreyan, he hastily picked up his gray peacoat, shoved it on, grabbed his scarf and hat, then picked Sienna up. With a bark to K9 to stay in the TARDIS, he opened the door, stepped out, locked it up tight, then began walking towards the bubble dome about six yards away.

The light yellow sky and the bright orange sun beamed down on the Doctor as he made his way over to the double doors. He walked along the magenta pathway, seeing their grass was a very light shade of pink. All the colors there were of warm shades, nothing depressing or cold about them. The Doctor knew that colors played a part in spiritual well being in people from all over the cosmos. The universal colorology had defined the colors and people who liked them. Sienna liked light to dark blues, but usually, she wasn't a blue person, he thought. It was confusing, but in a way, it all made sense. 

"Good day," a humanoid greeted him. She wore a light blue robe like a judge, with gloves to match. "I am Razarek, how may I be of assistance?" 

"Um, hello," he shifted Sienna. "My friend here has got a spiritual emergency here." 

"You are?"

"I am the Doctor." 

"Ah, yes," Razarek quickly typed his name into the computer. "Marik met you once in your dreams, so he will be taking care of your friend. He's on his way down." 

"Thank you. So prompt," the Doctor watched as Razarek motioned for him to follow her. "Lovely place you have here." 

"Your lighthearted comments do not mask your anxiety, Doctor," she commented, opening a door to a small room. "Marik is on his way." she left them alone. 

The Doctor noticed a light green gown hanging from a hanger, so he took it and dressed Sienna in it hurriedly. He put all her things into a bag, which he stowed under the gurney she was now lying on. He sat down on what looked like a tall green blob in the corner, relaxing a bit as the blob conformed to the Doctor, making it the perfect chair for him. 

The door opened up, and Marik, wearing a pastel red colored robe and a golden medallion necklace, entered. The Doctor momentarily thought of Borusa, he had the same demeanor of his old mentor. 

"How do you do, Doctor," Marik inclined his head in acknowledgement. "This is your friend, Sienna?"

"Yes. She's had a bad time recently and her spirit is sick-" 

"Please Doctor, I know you are anxious, but permit me to perform a cursory examination." 

"Of course." 

Marik took the vital signs, listened to Sienna's heart. 

"As far as the physical body is concerned, she's dying." 

"What?!" he jumped up from the blob.

"Doctor," he held out his hand. "I am not done examining her yet." 

"Right." he sat back down, ready to jump up again like a jack in the box.

The senior Oracle member pried open Sienna's eyes, noting the orange discoloration. He went over her with a fine tooth comb, making sure he got everything. When he was done, he wrote down on a chart what he had observed, then turned to the Doctor.

"Stage 4 of what we call Broken Spirit." he pronounced.

"I guessed as much," the Doctor was testy. "How would you go about curing her?"

Marik frowned, deep in thought. "She is just an hour away from physical death, Doctor. It would be a close thing indeed if we managed to pull her back now." 

"But can you help her?"

****

"It is risky," Marik allowed. "The major fear right now is that any kind of spiritual or physical shock could possibly kill her anyway." 

"What if it doesn't, hmm?" the Doctor challenged him. "If we let her waste away here without intervention, that's killing her too!" 

"True....." 

"So come on, now!" his blue eyes riveted on the senior member, nearly shaking with anxiety about Sienna. 

Marik recognized the anxiety, he'd seen it many times on peoples' faces around the galaxy. He sighed, then checked Sienna's heart rate, which was starting to slow down. The Doctor watched him, mentally daring him to go through with it and bring his companion literally back to life. 

"Right," Marik conceded. "There is a treatment room a few doors down. While they set it up, I must ask you as to how she got so sick." 

While the two orderlies took Sienna away on the gurney, Marik listened to the Doctor, walking down the hall and following the gurney. The Doctor marveled that the entire establishment's in and exterior had been painted a light cream yellow, a warm and relaxing shade. 

"And so," Marik summarized up the story. "He had been putting an undeserved amount of a traumatic burden on her for the past couple of weeks, she reacted predictably, by yelling at him. Typical scenario, but since she suffers from chronic depression and has had a.....less than agreeable existence on Sol-3, it was a chain reaction." 

"Chain reaction?" they walked into the room, seeing the orderlies setting up monitors and attaching Sienna to them.

"Simple logic, Doctor," Marik adjusted the heart monitor sensor as the orderly switched it on. The weakening staccato rhythm only served to make the Doctor more anxious. "Her life has been hard, and I do not doubt that yesterday's...episode brought up past memories of her suffering in much of the same way." 

"That makes sense," the Doctor mused. "All of the past times she has felt alone resurfaced and just...collided, I suppose." 

"All of those memories, coupled with what had just happened was too much for her, Doctor. It was-is so bad, her spirit is sick and dying, taking her body away with it. Since she has the depression, I would guess that her spirit knows all of this is happening, but does not care." 

"Why would her body be affected?" 

"Simple. A physical body cannot survive by itself. It is just a shell, needing a real soul or spirit to be in it to maintain it." 

The Doctor blushed. "I had forgotten. Now what do you propose to do to her?" 

"I will need your help with this, Doctor." the orderlies moved a piece of machinery that was attached to the ceiling with runner tracks. Two small antennae with small knobs on the ends was maneuvered to touch Sienna's temples. She was left uncovered, no blanket was within sight. On nearly every visible inch of her flesh, sensors had been put on, white rubber had been fitted over the sensors to protect them, adhesive backing kept them on her tightly. 

"With this machine, we will monitor her brainwave activity. You and I will be going into mind." 

"How do we do that?" 

Marik gave him a gentle smile. "You will be given a dose of a sedative. You must be physically linked to her before you fall asleep, to make sure that you will end up with her in her dreamland. I will be there as well." 

"All right," the Doctor got onto the other gurney the orderlies had just brought in. He took off his peacoat, hat, scarf, and his vest, getting comfortable. "This happen often here?"

The senior Oracle member giggled. "Doctor, I've seen every spiritual disease this side of the cosmos. It doesn't often happen, no, but in spite of the hundreds of years I've been here, I have rarely seen a humanoid with more heart than you." 

The orderlies put on sensors over the Doctor's hearts and an identical monitor lit up. He exhaled patiently, looking over to Sienna's monitor. 

"Are you sure you would want to do that?" Marik was in a little booth, ready to control the machines. 

He shouldn't have. The rhythm was disturbingly slow, and he turned his head away. Marik gave him a sympathetic look as the machine powered itself up. He removed himself from the booth, coming forward with a needleless syringe. Rolling up the Doctor's sleeve, he quietly swabbed his arm with surgical spirit, then affixed the syringe to the Doctor's skin. They heard the sucking sound as the Doctor's skin pores widened up, ready to recieve the drug. Marik gently eased down on the plunger, successfully ejecting the contents into the Doctor's bloodstream.

"That'll take about a minute to circulate and knock you out," Marik dropped the used syringe in the biohazard bin, where it dissolved from sight immediately. "I think we better get Ms. Blackman's brainwave monitor up and going while the drug takes effect on the Doctor." 

The two orderlies stepped up to the machine and adjusting the power levels on both sides, the machine lit up. Sienna's branwaves alighted on the monitor for all to see. 

Marik quickly scanned them as the Doctor became faintly aware that the room was beginning to drift in and out of focus. Remembering what Marik had said, he grasped Sienna's left hand and entwined his fingers with hers. 

"Steady neural activity," he heard the Oracle member say. "That's good, she'll be able to handle some manipulation." 

The room began to spiral around, everything was blurred now. Feeling dizzy and disoriented, the Doctor became aware of his eyelids were begging to come down. They felt like two hundred pound weights, so the Doctor slowly closed them with a sigh. 

Marik seated himself behind the booth again, pressing a button on the control panel. A similar apparatus to the one that was on Sienna's temples extended out. The spiritual doctor rested his temples on the apparatus, then pressed another button. 

A small electrical charge ran through him, something he'd done thousands of times already, so he didn't say anything. When it stopped, Marik felt himself sinking into the black oblivion. 

As like the other senior spirit doctors of the Oracle, he focused on Sienna's orange tinted brainwaves he saw in his mind, and raced towards them. 

*The Doctor opened up his eyes, finding himself in a forest of green. He stood up, his brown velvet peacoat and scarf had appeared on him. Walking a little ways, he admired the thick green foliage, heard water bubbling from a nearby river, and smelled pine and cedar trees growing everywhere. 

Walking along, he mused on nothing in particular as the birds chattered and squawked overhead. A ruby throated hummingbird whizzed past, in search of nectar from wildflowers. The Doctor found the edge of a clearing, watching birds, deer, bears, bobcats, foxes, and linxes running around. The big grizzly bear was standing in the river, looking at the water. Without warning, he plunged his snout in and came up with a pink fish. 

The grizzly wandered off proudly, head held up high, ignoring all the other animals protesting. The Doctor had to grin at the scene. 

A loud screaming sound was heard, making the Doctor jump up and look around for what had made the noise. The animals scattered about, hurrying back to the safety of the forest. 

The scene dissolved around the Doctor, melting like hot fat in a frying pan. He soon found himself standing in a long and dark hallway, hearing vague sounds all around him. A very small light illuminated the end of the corridor, so far away. Focusing, he ascertained that the sounds were of someone in distress. He had a good idea of who it was too, as he began to dash down the seemingly endless corridor.

Halfway there, the Time Lord had to stop and take a rest. He then realized he was wearing a golden chain, just like the one Marik had been wearing when they met. The sounds turned into someone weeping, startling the Doctor. He pulled out a small flashlight, aiming it around to try to get to a shortcut to the place where the sounds were emanating. 

"Sienna!" he shouted. "It's me, the Doctor! Where are you?" 

Without another word, the corridor vanished, revealing a body laid out on a long stone plinth. Going forward slowly, he approached the body with trepidation. 

The body had a long white dress with matching shoes. The face had been made up so it looked like the person was just asleep. The weeping sound came from every corner of the room, making the Doctor feel that he was at someone's funeral.

Straying closer, he got a clear look at the shuttered face.

"Sienna!" 

****

"It is not too late, my friend," Marik's voice sounded. "She only thinks that her demise is imminent." 

"Where are you, Marik?" 

"Here." the golden necklace pendant glowed. 

"What do we do?" 

"She has to help us pinpoint the memory that's causing all this illness." 

"Maybe better said than done," he went over to Sienna's body and picked her up off the plinth. The noise around them stopped suddenly. "I hope that was a good thing." 

"It is," the pendant glowed while Marik talked through it. "She's confused." 

"Let's set her straight," he looked into his companion's face. "Sienna!" 

After a few tries, it was clear that they were not going to get any reaction from her. "Her spirit is too weak to guide us," Marik sounded disappointed. "We must take her with us while we find the source of the infection." 

"Right," he picked her up and looked around. "Where do we find this infection?" 

The pendant buzzed. "You are a Time Lord, yes?"

"Yes." 

" Try to use your telepathic power to trace any disturbances you may sense. This will help save time." 

The Doctor put his hands on Sienna's temples, concentrating fiercely. When he stopped, he was able to point out the direction. Picking Sienna up, he fled down into one of the dark tunnels that was lighted with dull orange glow. When he reached the end, he saw a tall orange cylinder glowing ominously. The pendant jumped on the chain, alerting the Doctor that Marik wanted to talk.

"What is it?" 

"The infection! It's growing rapidly and we need to disable it, break it down!" 

"How?" 

"This is a dreamscape of her subconscious! Imagine any weapon you want and it'll appear." 

"No wonder her eyes were orange," the Doctor muttered to himself. "She was run down already and this...onslaught happened, she had no strength to fight it." 

"That's how it is with spirit sickness. They strike without warning, much like a physical disease." 

"All right," the Doctor slid off the pendant and thought about a weapon. "Sienna, I'm gonna steal your magnums." they appeared in his hands. Creeping closer to the cylinder, the Doctor began to shoot out all the creeping tentacles on the ground. They had been spreading at an alarming rate, now the Doctor strove to change their plans. After a few moments of shooting, he grew frustrated with the guns and threw them aside. 

"I need something faster, better..." he thought and a pair of mini dual SMGs fell from the air. He picked them up, blasting one tentacle with a spray of bullets. The tentacle uprooted itself and vanished. 

Grinning, the Doctor worked his way around the base until the cylinder disappeared completely.

When he was done, the SMGs vanished like the magnums did, and he walked over to Sienna. She had not stirred an inch while he'd been abolishing the infection, Marik had told him. 

He knelt down and brushed the hair away from her face, looking at her with affection. Marik was right, there was no change at all. 

"She is rid of the infection, but she is so spiritually emaciated, Doctor," the pendant told him in Marik's voice. "It will take time for her to build herself back up and wake up completely." 

Frustrated, the Doctor studied her face, then a light went off in his mind. "Marik, can't we jumpstart her?" 

"What?"

"I mean, if we gave her brain a little jolt from say, mine, wouldn't that boost up the healing process?" 

"It may work, but we have never attempted that before, Doctor. She could die." 

"She's dying already!" he protested. 

"The worst is that she could die, yes. The cases like these I have seen, they do usually recover."

"Really?"

"Albeit the patient usually goes into a coma that lasts around two to three months-"

"No! We'll jumpstart her." his exclamation startled Marik. 

The prone figure lying on the floor opened up her eyes to half mast and saw the Doctor kneeling down in front of her, his strong hand was supporting her torso as he argued with Marik. Dazed and tired out brown eyes tried to focus on the Doctor and found her efforts were working. Her ears were buzzing, but it was gradually subsiding with every second. Her left hand slowly snaked out and grasped the Doctor's hand, letting him know she was at least semiconscious. 

He jumped like she'd shocked him. His blue eyes met her brown ones and he could see the strain and fatigue in them as clear as day. 

"Sienna!" he hugged her to him. "Welcome back!" 

"Doctor..." her voice was so weak, he leaned over closer to hear her. "I'm so tired..."

"I know, I know," he reassured her. "You've been spiritually sick, Sienna. My friend and I here will get you out of this. I promise." 

Sienna took advantage of the Doctor's face being so close to hers to bring her head up and peck him on the cheek. He reeled back, blushing faintly, unable to keep a grin off his face. She gave him the ghost of a grin in return, it was all she could muster up the energy for. 

He understood, telling her to let herself relax. "Go back to sleep, Sienna. We've still got a ways to go." her eyelids closed, obscuring the gentle brown that he'd come to know and love. 

"It's time to wake up." Marik said gently. Sienna in the white dress faded from view as the Doctor nodded wearily.

"What do I have to do?" 

"Close your eyes and hold this pendant in your hands." 

The Doctor did so, fading into the blackness.*

Sound was the first thing that came back to him. He heard his own hearts on the monitor, the orderlies had been shuffling around, adjusting machinery and monitoring the vital signs of the human and the humanoid alien. The Doctor felt his sensors being taken off, a muffled murmuring drifted to his ears. His hand clutching at something, he remembered Sienna's hand and how he had to be physically linked with her in order to get into her mind. 

"Good," Marik's voice sounded. "Her heartbeat has stabilized. She shouldn't get any worse." 

The Doctor remembered that he had mentioned he would jumpstart Sienna's brain. His eyelids sprang open, he sat up. Sienna was still looking a little run down, but her skin was a healthy ivory that it always had been, and there was no trace of orange in her corneas. Satisfied, he asked for a device so he could give her brain a little kick start. Marik had the orderlies bring in two wired headbands they plugged into the neural scanner. 

"This is the neural interface," Marik explained. "Designed just for the purpose you have in mind, Doctor." 

The Doctor grinned, sitting down on his gurney, snugging on the gear. He then made sure Sienna was outfitted properly, then Marik adjusted the dials. Sienna's brainwaves were on the first monitor, the Doctor's on the second one. The first jolt did nothing to boost up Sienna's brainwaves, so the Doctor ordered another jump, jacking up the voltage.

"That might kill her!" 

"I'm aware of that," he said dryly. "Be sure to have a few vials of epinephrine handy in case." 

The jolt the Doctor concentrated into her rocked her body like a defibrillator, but it accomplished the task. Sienna's brain waves now were boosted up to normal. The Doctor noticed that her heart rate was going down into the teens, so he quickly banged a shot of epinephrine directly over her aorta. He dropped the syringe, looking at the monitor and rubbing her chest over her heart, performing a cardiac massage until the drug worked. The Doctor pulled off his headband, dialing down the machine power and watching Sienna's heartbeat until it picked up again. 

Within minutes, it steadied and began beating normally again. The Doctor had the apparatus taken away, Sienna's monitors were disconnected from her. 

"Good work, Doctor," Marik said approvingly. "I didn't think you'd be able to pull it off, but there you have it." 

"Yes," he agreed, not taking his eyes off his companion. "Sienna!" 

"You should really let her sleep." he objected.

"I need to see her awake and not sick," he said frantically. "It'll help me rest." 

****

Sienna opened up her eyes, ready to take the Doctor down a peg for saying her name so much. Looking into his eyes, she was surprised to find out his blue eyes betrayed a look of intense fear, something she had never seen before in him. When he saw her looking at him, his blue eyes smiled at her. 

"Doctor, what?" 

"Shhhh, go back to sleep now. I had to make sure you were all right." 

"Uh, OK. I'm fine." 

"I can see that. Just rest now." 

"What hap-"

"Not now. We both need to rest after what's happened." 

"Happened?" 

"Shhhh," he shushed her, gently pushing her head back down on the pillow. " I'll be here when you awaken." 

"Take them both to recovery." she heard Marik say as her eyes closed and she surrendered her senses. 

The orderly took Sienna's gurney into a prepared recovery room, the Doctor trailing behind him. He spied another gurney and got onto it, being careful not to suddenly fall off. The orderly attached old fashioned blood pressure cuffs on the two's right arms, hooking it to an automated blood pressure machine. Every ten or fifteen minutes, the blood pressure would be taken and recorded in the database. A blanket was spread over the Doctor, he groped at it and turned faceup, closing his eyes and falling asleep.

He roused when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Marik stood there, looking down at the Doctor with a gentle smile on his face. He opened up his blurry eyes and focused, blinking the sleepiness out. 

"Is everything all right?" 

"Everything is just fine, Doctor," the smile beamed down. "I thought you would like to know that your friend woke up, asked for you, and after being reassured you were all right, she went back to sleep." 

"I'm all right now, I feel energized!" the Time Lord sat up, taking off the blood pressure cuff. Marik permitted this, seeing that the Doctor was speaking the truth. He sat down on a pink blob that molded itself to him in the shape of a recliner chair. Taking her right hand and gently tracing the nearly invisible lines that her veins made, he saw on her face was a deep contentment, she was well on her way to a complete recovery.

"Marik, how long has it been?"

"Six hours. I'm just checking up before I go to bed. Good night, Doctor." 

"Good night." Marik left the room.

The Doctor slipped back into sleep, after adjusting the blob so he was aside Sienna. 

The night was uneventful, everyone slept the way through without incident. When the Doctor opened up his eyes next, he saw it was well past ten AM. Looking at Sienna's gurney, he didn't see her there and his hearts quailed in panic. He got up and was about to call an all out search, when he heard a voice coming from the shower. 

"If the real thing don't do the trick  
You better make up something quick  
You gonna burn, burn, burn, burn it to the wick  
Ohhhhhhh, barracuda!" 

His grin nearly slid off his face, it was so wide. Sienna always sang when she was happy. Sure enough, she emerged, wearing her jeans, shirt, and her sneakers she'd had on at UNIT. Her hair, freshly dried, stood the way she'd arm wrestled it into place. The artificial redhead grinned at the Doctor as she tossed the used towel in the laundry bin and sat down on the gurney, facing her friend.

"Sienna, I-" he was about to tell her the whole story, but she cut him off.

"You saved me, Doctor," her brown eyes glistened. "I remember some of it, that Marik dude filled me in on the rest. I can't thank you enough for it." 

"Don't even try," he answered. "I know you would do the same for me." 

"Oh, yes, I would," she giggled. "Well, when do you want to hit the road?" 

"Does Marik need to examine you?" 

"Nah. He just wants me to give you this," she handed him a sheet of paper. "And we're off!" 

Later on, on board the TARDIS, Sienna was catching up on lost sleep, when the Doctor sat down on the ottoman in the library and pulled out the sheet of paper. 

*"Doctor-  
You must excuse me for not saying goodbye to either of you. A spiritual emergency came up and I had to leave very quickly. Your friend is making a full recovery and I am pleased with that as I know you are. However, there is one more obstacle that must pass before she can take up her adventurer lifestyle again. She will suffer an emotional backlash-a delayed reaction of what happened to her and you will help guide her through it, I am sure. Her body went through the shock, but her emotion had not because she was so sick. Now that she's healthy and well, the emotion will catch up with her eventually. 

Having said that, I wish you two all the best and remember, I'm only a dream away.

-Marik

Head spiritual doctor of the Oracle  
Polaris." *

So the journey was not over yet. The Doctor stuffed the paper into his brown peacoat pocket and headed off for Sienna's room. K9 followed the Doctor, ever obedient to his master. Rapping twice on the door, he entered it quietly, as the tin dog followed suit. 

"Sienna," he whispered, sitting on the edge of her bed. His companion was fighting in her dreams, acting restless. Her face was strained and sweaty, the Doctor checked her over and discovered nothing amiss. "Sienna." he said again, louder. 

She stirred at his voice, but did not quite wake up. He took her hands and watched as she retaliated against him, drawing her hands away and huddling down underneath the bedcovers. 

"Come on now, you can't hide like this forever," he admonished gently, pulling her up. "You must face what happened to you and not deny it." 

She looked at him. "Night tremors." 

"They'll keep happening as long as you keep denying." 

"I'm not denying anything. I mean, I lived through it, I don't want to remember it." 

"That's a form of self denial. Come on then, you need to let the experience hit you and then your emotions will quiet down again. You're wasting your energy trying to keep in denial." 

"Doctor, I-" 

"What are you so afraid of? You know the outcome." he interrupted. 

Sienna measured him up with her eyes. "You know you're right," she admitted. "I just don't want to hurt emotionally, Doctor." 

"Oh, come now! After all you've been through, you're going to let this drag you down? I've heard and seen you in far worse scrapes, like on the abandoned planet. Remember?" 

That planet, the one where she had kept going into a catatonia like state. Before she could say anything, the Doctor rambled on.

"And what about being accused of murder on Gretious XGT? Facing up the Daleks and Cybermen? You survived Davros, for pity's sake!" 

"The mechanical man? Yeah, I did. Guess you're right." 

"See? I'm right here if you need me." 

"OK then." Sienna closed her eyes and let the emotion take over. She did not like not being in control, but sometimes it had to happen. Like a flash of lightning, she experienced everything, saw flashes of what went on, in and out of her body. When the flash was done, she let out an agonizing cry that was from the very depths of her soul. The Doctor watched as she began to weep like there was no tomorrow. She put her arms around the big stuffed bear on her bed and buried her head in it, her breath catching every now and again. 

Silently, the Doctor pulled her over to him. She released the bear and clutched on to the Doctor like her life depended on it. He stroked her hair like Harry had done, muttering little comforts now and then to try to soothe her. 

Finally, when her weeping had subsided, the Doctor sat down on her bed and pulled Sienna up with him. 

"Will you stay with me, Doctor?"

"Of course." 

"Last thing I want to do after all that is be alone." 

"You won't be. K9 and I are here for you." 

"That's comforting." she snuggled up with him, closing her eyes.

"Just rest. Who knows what could happen to us tomorrow?" he chuckled.

"I look forward to an adventure!" she returned the giggle, drowsy enough now to fall asleep.  
END


	33. Changes

Changes

4/Sienna/K9

Introducing a new character

The Doctor shifted in the uncomfortable chair as he waited, occasionally shooting glances at the clock. A few other people were there in the waiting room as well. One was clacking away on a laptop computer and the other was reading a book intently. 

Picking up a magazine, he thumbed through it, then remembered he had stashed some books in one of his bottomless peacoat pockets. A volume of Poe was unearthed and he buried his beaky nose into it, effectively losing all sense of time. 

Two hours later, he hadn't stirred as a staff member came up to him. 

"Mr. Smith? Your friend is out of surgery and in recovery."

"Oh, thank you," he looked up. "how long before she wakes up?" 

"About another hour and a half, they did say." 

"All right, thank you." the Doctor went back to his book, but he was really thinking about what had led them down the current road.

Sienna had been in serious pain the last two weeks. He'd noticed she'd been a bit off color and was getting scrawny, so he had to ask her what was the matter. Sienna told him that her chronic disease had chosen to flare up and make her life miserable. He asked lots of questions and it turned out Crohn's Disease was the name of what she was afflicted with. The Doctor was familiar with the illness and noted she had been spending a lot of time sleeping nowadays as well. His standard medicine supply gave her some relief, but not much. Sienna continued to sleep all the time and lose weight in a rather dramatic fashion. 

She'd stabilized for a few days, then just yesterday, Sienna came into the console room looking weaker than he'd ever seen before. A few minutes later, she had the worst pain attack he'd ever seen, then collapsed on the floor. 

"That does it!" he punched some buttons and set the coordinates. "I'm taking you to your home time!" the Doctor knew it was just past New Year's on her planet, it would be early 2009. She and he had been traveling for just a few months together since they left Sarah back in her home time. After her soul had been healed, the Doctor and Sienna decided on going into hibernation for about a year. 

It was just what the Doctor had ordered. The TARDIS was put into cold storage, while the Doctor and Sienna were put into a cryogenic sleep that lasted a year. While they were there, the technicians had revitalized their worn bodies, they were spared all the human and Time Lord worrying that they would usually do. 

The Spa Planet treated them well, as the TARDIS was revitalized by her long sleep as well. Upon waking up, the Doctor remarked he had never felt so young before. Sienna echoed that thought, noting it felt like every pore of her skin had been cleansed and purged. Both of them noticed each other's hair was so thick and had a healthy shine to it, their skin was fresh and delicate. 

"Sienna!" he had seen her face grow gray with pain and she latched one arm onto the console itself to try to stay up. The other arm, her left one, wrapped around her midsection where it hurt her. The TARDIS, seemingly sensing one of her occupants' distress, stayed quietly humming, no bucking or lurching about like she usually did. 

"Oh, God," she could barely talk, clenching her jaws and her eyelids shut as the pain wracked her frame almost violently. 

"Come on, I'm taking you to your home time now!" he plugged in the coordinates flawlessly for once, then the TARDIS chugged into motion. K9 trundled out, lined himself up beside his mistress as she lost the battle to stand up and fell down next to her dog. 

"Mistress is in pain, Master."

"Yes, I know!" he pulled on his peacoat, scarf, then wrapped Sienna up in a fleece jacket for warmth as the TARDIS landed. 

Halfway to the hospital entrance, Sienna came out of her pain induced haze to gaze up blearily at her Doctor as he walked, swearing every time he slipped a bit on the ice. 

"Sienna?"

"I must be dying," 

"Rather doubt it! We'll get you fixed up!" 

"Ugh.." she closed her eyes and passed out.

****

Now, the Doctor strolled along the corridor with the staff member to see his ill friend. The surgeon had come out to tell him that she was doing quite well. Sienna had displayed early symptoms of a total bowel obstruction and it was a good thing he had brought her in when he did. Another hour and she would have died. 

"Here she is," the staff member showed the Doctor his ill friend. Already her color was starting to improve as the nurses extracted the breathing tube. "she'll wake up pretty soon." 

"Since I am a doctor myself, I wish to take her home and keep an eye on her." the Doctor and the surgeon came to an agreement on that issue and he would be taking her back to the TARDIS as soon as she had regained consciousness. 

The staff member agreed and the Doctor was left alone with his friend. The surgeon had relieved the obstruction without having to create a temporary stoma, then simply stitched Sienna back together. Fortunately, there was no signs of active disease that they could find, so after she had recovered fully, she would not need any special restrictions other than lifting more than 30 pounds. 

"My young friend," the Doctor bent over her, pecking her on the cheek. "hopefully this is all you'll have to go through for now. You scared me with all your pain and such." 

Her eyelids fluttered open then. 

"Hello, my friend," he grinned at her.

"H-hi." her voice was raspy from the tube.

"Not so dead now, are we?" 

She gave him a faint smile in return as he pulled up a chair, pulled out his book, and began to read. Sienna sank back into sleep, inwardly giving a huge sigh of relief she was not in pain anymore.

****

When the Doctor took her back into the TARDIS three hours later, a pair of blue eyes appeared from around the brick structure of the hospital, then a man with a cherubic face and curly hair walked towards the seemingly inconspicuous phone box that stood there. 

The man wore simple blue jeans, boots, a green t-shirt and a dark green winter jacket. Curiously, he crept closer and one glance inside the TARDIS has his jaw scraping the floor. 

Nobody was around, as even K9 was in Sienna's room, seeing to her getting settled in. As the stranger walked in, he zeroed in on the voices down the hallway. He came up to the door and saw the Doctor fiddling around while Sienna was talking to him from her bed. 

"Intruder, Master." K9 chirped quietly.

The Doctor's blue eyes latched onto the stranger's and Sienna's brown eyes found the stranger's easily.

"Danny!" she exclaimed. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"Yes, what are you doing here?" the Doctor echoed. 

"I saw you coming into the ER, Sienna," he hastened to explain. "and I wanted to visit before you went missing again."

"Oh. Danny MacLean, meet the Doctor. That's all he goes by," she added in a smirk. "Doctor, this is one of my friends from earth." 

"Charmed," the Doctor stood up and gestured for Danny to take the recliner as he sat on the chaise lounge. "so tell me about you two." 

"I'm 31 years old, and I've been trying like hell to find you, Sienna, since you disappeared almost two years ago!" 

"Slow down. How do you two know each other?"

"I worked for him, Doctor," Sienna propped herself up with extra pillows. "I worked for him and he headed up a nonprofit organization based on peace this and peace that. I believe in peace and all that jazz...I never thought about him until now." 

"What's been going on? All I can remember is you on that British TV thing awhile ago and that's it. Your parents have been incarcerated and they're not coming out for a long time." 

"Oh, good. What was it, circumstantial evidence to convict?" her throat was still sore, but her voice was more audible than it was a few hours ago. 

"Exactly so. Anyway, the economy is crap, so the group has been put on sabbatical until things pick up again. I'm trying to get a job in this burned out place. Exactly where you are now, Sienna."

"Doctor, he and I met when I wanted to get work experience and he took me on. We were and still are friends. I did forget about him since I boarded this TARDIS and since then, my mind has been elsewhere." 

"Good enough for me," the Doctor rose from his chair. "you two catch up. No hurry now. Come along, K9." 

Danny sat on Sienna's bed next to her and filled her in on the gossip around the town that she had missed while she was gone. 

"Then there was a freakout a few months back," he finished up. "bad car wreck. The body was a 25 year old female but after some mix up from the coroner, they determined it wasn't you."

Danny's hand sought hers out subconsciously, finding the ivory colored skin adorned with rings. He picked it up, seeing the bandage mark from the IV line and saw she had grown her nails out to the favored half an inch long in a curved shape. They were painted a frosty shade of blue and the curved nails made her nail beds look even longer than they really were. He admired them for a second, liking how long and elegant her fingers looked to him. They smelled like strawberry hand lotion that she loved, and the skin was smooth and soft. 

She smiled, liking him admiring her hand. 

He seemed to catch himself mid-admiration, then looked at her almost guiltily for a minute. "So what have you been up to?"

Sienna filled him in on how she met the 8th Doctor, the 10th Doctor, explained how she and the tenth fell out of their friendship, and her choice to travel with the fourth. 

"Other than that, I've defeated lake monsters, been framed for murder, found an abandoned planet, helped relocate an alien species, had a few brief romantic flings......" she stretched out the word, searching her mind for anything she might have missed. "been abducted by some nasty aliens..basically either saving one alien race or defeating another." 

"I would never have believed it...I mean this ship defies the law of physics altogether. I mean, it's a phone box!" 

Danny looked at her seriously. "You get to travel and have all the adventures now."

"You can come with us." 

"What?"

"Ask the Doctor if you can tag along for the week or something. You never know! We can catch up a little more. I can't remember everything in one go." she and Danny never had any feelings for each other, besides the friendly ones. 

"I really could?"

"Yes. Ask the Doctor, though."

"OK!" Danny got up and went to the console room. The Doctor raised his eyebrows a bit as he heard the question and then considered it carefully-something he almost never did.

"All right, I can take you. I imagine that you have some business to close, possessions to take, so I will be taking off from here tomorrow at 10 AM." 

"Wow, thank you! I'll be here before that!" Danny dashed out to get his things in order so he could take a vacation with them. Sienna had told him that they rarely needed money, yet if they did, the Doctor would handle it. 

****

The next morning, Danny came in with his suitcase, clicked off his cell phone, then greeted the Doctor cheerfully. Despite the obvious, the two of them were similar in appearance.

Danny's hair was not in an afro style the Doctor was so fond of. It was cut short and hung down in thick ringlets. His blue eyes were a shade lighter than the Doctor's, and his cherubic face set him apart as well. Danny was well built, of the average 6 feet height, slim, and had casual taste in clothes. 

He was given Sarah's old bedroom and the Doctor showed him how to presonalize it. K9 gave Danny a tour around the TARDIS, then ended back at Sienna's door. 

"She in here?"

"Mistress is still asleep." K9 confirmed. 

"I won't wake her up, then." Danny promised. 

In her bedroom, Danny gave Sienna a peck on the cheek, then felt tired. He was completely wired when he got home the previous day that he could not sleep. Sienna opened up her eyes just as he was thinking how pretty she looked when asleep, and saw him hovering above her. 

"You look tired, Danny." 

"Thanks," he grinned.

"Go to bed or use my recliner or something." she directed him.

He sat down on the recliner and noticed she was intubated through the back of her right hand. Seeing him looking at it, a smile spread across her face as she explained it.

"I can't eat anyting for another couple of days or so until my guts get back online. Tomorrow I will need to start walking around to help my guts. I shouldn't be dehydrated, so that's what this is for," she started giggling. "think about it, Danny-the first sign of bowels turning back on is a fart. I fart, I can eat!"

They both enjoyed a good laugh about that, then Danny saw her eyelids were closing fast. He felt his closing as well.  
END


End file.
